LONDON (AP) 鈥 TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. It would be the biggest blow yet to the popular video-sharing app, which has faced various restrictions around the world.
TikTok is already banned in a handful of countries and from government-issued devices in a number of others, due to official worries that the app poses privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
Those fears are reflected in the U.S. law, which is the culmination of long-held bipartisan fears in Washington that China鈥檚 communist leaders could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data, or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content. TikTok has long maintained that it doesn鈥檛 share data with the Chinese government and its CEO has taken a defiant stance, vowing to fight back.
Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok:
AFGHANISTAN
TikTok has been banned since 2022, along with videogame PUBG, after the country's Taliban leadership decided to forbid access on the grounds of protecting young people from 鈥渂eing misled.鈥
AUSTRALIA
TikTok is not allowed on devices issued by the Australian federal government. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he made the decision after getting advice from the country鈥檚 intelligence and security agencies.
BELGIUM
The 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Security Council decided last month to TikTok from devices owned or paid for by the federal government. The ban was issued on a temporary basis last year on worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said it was based on warnings from the country鈥檚 state security service and cybersecurity center.
CANADA
Devices issued by the federal government are forbidden from using TikTok. Officials cited an 鈥渦nacceptable鈥 risk to privacy and security and said the app would be removed from devices and employees blocked from downloading it.
CHINA
TikTok has never been available in , a fact that CEO Shou Chew has mentioned in testimony to U.S. lawmakers. ByteDance instead offers Chinese users Douyin, a similar video-sharing app that follows Beijing鈥檚 strict censorship rules. TikTok also ceased operations in after a sweeping Chinese national security law took effect.
DENMARK
Denmark鈥檚 Defense Ministry banned its employees from having TikTok on their work phones, ordering staffers who have installed it to remove the app from devices as soon as possible. The ministry said the reasons for the ban included both 鈥渨eighty security considerations鈥 as well as 鈥渧ery limited work-related need to use the app.鈥
EUROPEAN UNION
The European Parliament, European Commission and the EU Council, the 27-member bloc鈥檚 three main institutions, have imposed bans on TikTok on staff devices. Under the European Parliament鈥檚 ban, lawmakers and staff were also advised to remove the TikTok app from their personal devices.
FRANCE
鈥淩ecreational鈥 use of TikTok and other social media apps like Twitter and Instagram on government employees鈥 phones has been banned because of worries about insufficient data security measures. The French government didn鈥檛 name specific apps but noted the decision came after other governments took measures targeting TikTok.
INDIA
India imposed a on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps like messaging app WeChat in 2020 over privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops at a disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian soldiers and injured dozens. The companies were given a chance to respond to questions on privacy and security requirements but the ban was made permanent in 2021.
INDONESIA
TikTok isn't entirely banned in the sprawling, populous Southeast Asian nation, only its function, after the authorities clamped down on e-commerce transactions carried out on social media platforms in a bid to protect small businesses.
LATVIA
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted that he deleted his TikTok account and that the app is also prohibited from official foreign ministry smartphones.
NETHERLANDS
The Dutch central government banned apps including TikTok from employee work phones citing data security concerns. A government statement did not name TikTok specifically but said civil servants are discouraged from having apps 鈥渇rom countries with an offensive cyber program against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests installed and used on their mobile work devices.鈥
NEPAL
The Himalayan country imposed a on TikTok, saying it was disrupting 鈥渟ocial harmony鈥 and goodwill and blaming it for a 鈥渇low of indecent materials.鈥 Authorities ordered the telecom company to block access to the app.
NEW ZEALAND
Lawmakers in New Zealand and staff at the nation鈥檚 Parliament are prohibited from having the TikTok app on their work phones, following advice from government cybersecurity experts. The app was removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network, although officials can make special arrangements for anybody who needs TikTok to perform their democratic duties.
NORWAY
The Norwegian parliament banned Tiktok on work devices after the country鈥檚 Justice Ministry warned the app shouldn鈥檛 be installed on phones issued to government employees. The Parliament鈥檚 speaker said TikTok shouldn鈥檛 be on devices that have access to the assembly鈥檚 systems and should be removed as quickly as possible. The country鈥檚 capital Oslo and second largest city Bergen also urged municipal employees to remove TikTok from their work phones.
PAKISTAN
Pakistani authorities have temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since 2020, citing concerns that the app promotes immoral content.
SOMALIA
The government ordered telecom companies to block access to TikTok, along with messaging app Telegram and gambling platform 1XBET. Officials said they were concerned that the platforms could spread extremist content, nude images and other material seen as offensive to Somali culture and Islam.
TAIWAN
Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned that the app posed a national security risk. Government devices, including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers, are not allowed to use Chinese-made software, which includes apps like TikTok, its Chinese equivalent Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle content app.
UNITED KINGDOM
British authorities banned TikTok from mobile phones used by government ministers and civil servants. Officials said the ban was a 鈥減recautionary move鈥 on security grounds and doesn鈥檛 apply to personal devices. The British Parliament followed up by banning TikTok from all official devices and the 鈥渨ider parliamentary network.鈥 The semi-autonomous Scottish government and London City Hall also banned TikTok from staff devices. The BBC urged staff to delete TikTok from corporate devices unless they鈥檙e using it for editorial and marketing reasons.
UNITED STATES
U.S. authorities ordered government agencies to delete TikTok from federal devices and systems over data security concerns. More than half of the 50 U.S. states also have banned the app from official devices, as have Congress and the U.S. armed forces. Montana's efforts to bring in a state-wide ban failed, as did a proposal in to block kids from using it.
