Rows of countries banning the use of TikTok, what's the reason?

Rows of countries banning the use of TikTok, what’s the reason?

Posted On: March 19, 2023

KOMPAS.com – Video app from China, TikTok is one of the most popular social media today.

According Report dataTikTok would have 1.051 billion users over the age of 18 in January 2023.

Among these, the United States is the country with the most active TikTok users, with 113.3 million people. While Indonesia ranks second with 109.9 million users.

Even though TikTok has many users around the world, there are several countries where the app is banned.

They fear that the social media account owner’s personal data will be stolen and shared with the Chinese government.

TikTok has denied the charges. But many countries remain wary of the app.

reported from euro newshere are the countries and regions where TikTok is banned.

English

On March 16, 2023, UK Secretary of State Oliver Dowden announced a ban on using TikTok on official government devices.

“It’s a precautionary measure. We know that the use of TikTok has been restricted across government, it’s also a way to keep cyberspace clean,” he told lawmakers.

The ban was made on the basis of a report by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, which concluded that it was possible that government data could be used by certain applications. The country also prohibits the use of Huawei.

Europe

The European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU have banned the use of TikTok on staff devices citing cybersecurity concerns.

This ban will come into effect on March 20, 2023. Members and staff are also advised to remove the app from their personal devices.

New Zealand

New Zealand announced on March 17 that TikTok would be banned from the phones of government lawmakers from the end of March 2023.

Unlike other countries, the ban will not affect all government employees and will only apply to around 500 people in the parliamentary complex.

Parliamentary Service Director General Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said officials could adopt special regulations if they needed TikTok to perform democratic tasks.

Belgium

Belgium announced it was banning TikTok devices owned or paid for by the Belgian federal government for at least six months last week.

The Belgian government is concerned about cybersecurity, privacy, and the spread of false information through the app.

Denmark

On March 6, 2023, the Danish Ministry of Defense announced that it would ban the use of the TikTok app on official state devices as a cybersecurity measure.

The move came after the Scandinavian country’s Cyber Security Center assessed there was a risk of espionage in the app.

The Department of Defense also considers security and the need for very limited use of TikTok. As a result, employees are forced to uninstall TikTok on authorized phones and other devices.

united states of america

Despite having the most users, the United States says it has 30 days to remove the app from federal devices and systems. The ban only applies to government agencies, but some US lawmakers are pushing for sweeping bans.

More than half of the 50 US states have also banned the app from government devices.

The move came after the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission warned that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, may be sharing app user data with China’s authoritarian government.

Researchers are also concerned that content on TikTok could be harmful to teenage mental health.

Canada

After the United States withdrew its license to use TikTok, Canada also announced that government-issued devices were not allowed to use TikTok.

This is done to prevent privacy and security risks. Employees will also be blocked from downloading apps in the future.

Freepik

Several countries have banned the use of the TikTok app.

India

Since 2020, India has banned the operation of TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the messaging app WeChat. Privacy and security concerns are the reasons for this.

But in fact, the ban was only issued after clashes broke out between Indian and Chinese troops on the disputed Himalayan border between the two countries. This incident killed 20 Indian soldiers and injured dozens more.

The ByteDance company had the opportunity to answer questions about TikTok’s privacy and security requirements. However, this ban was made permanent in January 2021.

Taiwan

In December 2022, Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned the app posed a national security risk.

Government devices, including cellphones, tablets, and desktop computers, are not allowed to use software made in China. Prohibited apps, namely TikTok, Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

Pakistan

Pakistani authorities have also temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since October 2020.

The country has raised concerns that the app promotes immoral content.

Afghanistan

The leadership of the Afghan Taliban banned TikTok and the game PUBG in 2022. This ban was implemented on the grounds of protecting young people from heretical teachings.

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