LONDON : A rising variety of nations in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific have banned the favored video-sharing app TikTok from authorities gadgets as privateness and cybersecurity considerations improve. A handful have prohibited the app altogether.
The corporate’s CEO confronted a grilling Thursday from U.S. lawmakers. TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese language know-how firm Bytedance, has lengthy maintained that it doesn’t share knowledge with the Chinese language authorities.
The corporate factors to a venture its finishing up to retailer U.S. consumer knowledge within the U.S., which it says will put it out China’s attain. It additionally disputes accusations it collects extra consumer knowledge than different social media corporations, and insists that it’s run independently by its personal administration.
However many governments stay cautious concerning the platform and its ties to China. Listed here are the locations which have applied partial or complete bans on TikTok:
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s Taliban management banned TikTok and the sport PUBG in 2022 on the grounds of defending younger individuals from “being misled.”
Belgium
Belgium quickly banned TikTok from gadgets owned or paid for by the federal authorities, citing worries about cybersecurity, privateness and misinformation. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo stated the six-month ban was primarily based on warnings from the state safety service and its cybersecurity heart.
Canada
Canada introduced government-issued gadgets should not use TikTok, saying that it presents an “unacceptable” threat to privateness and safety. Staff may also be blocked from downloading the applying sooner or later.
Denmark
Denmark’s Protection Ministry banned its workers from having TikTok on their work telephones, ordering staffers who’ve put in it to take away the app from gadgets as quickly as attainable. The ministry stated the explanations for the ban included each “weighty safety issues” in addition to “very restricted work-related want to make use of the app.”
European Union
The European Parliament, European Fee and the EU Council, the 27-member bloc’s three major establishments, have imposed bans on TikTok on workers gadgets. Below the European Parliament’s ban, which took impact Monday, lawmakers and workers have been additionally suggested to take away the TikTok app from their private gadgets.
India
India imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok and dozens of different Chinese language apps, together with the messaging app WeChat, in 2020 over privateness and safety considerations. The ban got here shortly after a conflict between Indian and Chinese language troops at a disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian troopers and injured dozens.
The businesses got an opportunity to answer questions on privateness and safety necessities however the ban was made everlasting in January 2021.
New Zealand
Lawmakers in New Zealand and workers on the nation’s Parliament will likely be prohibited from having the TikTok app on their work telephones, following recommendation from authorities cybersecurity consultants. Below the ban, which takes impact on the finish of March, the app will likely be faraway from all gadgets with entry to the parliamentary community, though officers could make particular preparations for anyone who wants TikTok to carry out their democratic duties.
Norway
The Norwegian parliament on Thursday banned Tiktok on work gadgets, after the nation’s Justice Ministry warned the app should not be put in on telephones issued to authorities workers. The Parliament’s speaker stated TikTok should not be on gadgets which have entry to the meeting’s programs and needs to be eliminated as shortly as attainable. The nation’s capital Oslo and second largest metropolis Bergen additionally urged municipal workers to take away TikTok from their work telephones.
Pakistan
Pakistani authorities have quickly banned TikTok at the very least 4 occasions since October 2020, citing considerations that app promotes immoral content material.
Taiwan
In December 2022, Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned that TikTok posed a nationwide safety threat. Authorities gadgets, together with cell phones, tablets and desktop computer systems, are usually not allowed to make use of Chinese language-made software program, which embrace apps like TikTok, its Chinese language equal Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese language life-style content material app.
United Kingdom
British authorities in mid-March banned TikTok from cell phones utilized by authorities ministers and civil servants with rapid impact. Officers stated the ban was a “precautionary transfer” on safety grounds, and would not apply to private gadgets. The British Parliament adopted that up Thursday by asserting a ban on TikTok from all official gadgets and the “wider parliamentary community.” The semi-autonomous Scottish authorities additionally stated Thursday it was banning TikTok from official gadgets, efficient instantly.
United States
The U.S. in the beginning of March gave authorities businesses 30 days to delete TikTok from federal gadgets and programs over knowledge safety considerations. The ban applies solely to authorities gadgets, although some U.S. lawmakers are advocating an outright ban. China lashed out on the U.S. for banning TikTok, describing the ban as an abuse of state energy and suppressing companies from different nations. Greater than half of the 50 U.S. states even have banned the app from official gadgets, as have Congress and the U.S. armed forces.
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