Several countries have implemented partial or total bans on the popular social media application TikTok, primarily due to concerns about its ties to China and potential security risks. While the United States’ recent Supreme Court decision upholding a ban has garnered significant attention, many other nations have already taken action, citing various reasons ranging from national security to domestic social issues.
TikTok is owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance, which maintains that it operates independently and does not share data with the Chinese government. However, many governments remain cautious, particularly given China’s national security laws, which could compel companies to cooperate with state intelligence agencies. This concern is amplified by the departure or scaling back of operations of several Western technology companies, including Airbnb, Yahoo, and LinkedIn, from China due to Beijing’s strict data privacy regulations.
A number of countries have implemented bans on TikTok, often focusing on government devices to protect sensitive information. These bans often stem from assessments by national intelligence agencies highlighting the potential for espionage and data breaches.
The following table summarises the countries and regions that have announced or implemented partial or total bans on TikTok:
| Country/Region | Type of Ban | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Total (Year-long) | Concerns about violence and bullying among young people. |
| Australia | Partial (Government Devices) | Security and privacy risks due to data collection and potential foreign government influence. |
| Belgium | Partial (Federal Government Devices) | Cybersecurity, privacy, and misinformation concerns. |
| Canada | Partial (Government Devices, Operations) | Foreign interference concerns. |
| Denmark | Partial (Defense Ministry Devices) | Risk of espionage. |
| Estonia | Partial (State-Issued Smartphones) | Security concerns. |
| EU Institutions (Parliament, Commission, Council) | Partial (Staff Devices) | Cybersecurity concerns. |
| France | Partial (Government Work Phones) | Cybersecurity and data protection concerns. Temporary ban in New Caledonia due to riots. |
| India | Total | Privacy and security concerns, following border conflict with China. |
| Netherlands | Discouragement of use on government phones | Concerns about espionage from countries with aggressive cyber programs. |
| New Zealand | Partial (Parliamentary Devices) | Security concerns. |
| Norway | Partial (Government Work Devices) | Risk assessments by intelligence services citing Russia and China as main risk factors. |
| Taiwan | Partial (Public Sector Devices) | National security risk. |
| UK | Partial (Government Official Devices) | Risk around access and use of sensitive government data. |
| US | Total (Upheld by Supreme Court) | National security concerns, data security, and concerns about content impacting teenagers’ mental health. Bans in more than half of US states on government devices before the national ban. |
| Afghanistan | Total | Protecting youths from “being misled”. |
| Pakistan | Temporary Bans (Multiple) | Concerns about “immoral content”. |
Beyond security considerations, some countries have cited domestic social issues as reasons for banning the app. Albania, for instance, implemented a year-long ban due to concerns about rising violence and bullying among young people, which the government linked to TikTok.
