There has been a lot of news in recent months and years about the banning of TikTok, particularly across the USA – first in specific states and now across the country as a whole.
The rise in the banning of TikTok is directly linked with the associated and projected dangers of sharing data and personal information with the app, which is owned by a Chinese company. Countries are concerned about the security of data and the fact that the parent company, ByteDance, could share users’ information with the Chinese government at any time.
The United States’ TikTok Ban
A Bill that was approved in 2024 means that the United States is one step closer to becoming the first country to place a ban on TikTok. This ban, if carried out, could mean that app stores are no longer able to offer TikTok. The only way that the United States says it will back out of the ban is if ByteDance sells TikTok within 9 months so that it is no longer owned by a Chinese company.
Countries Banning TikTok on Government Devices
While the United States could be the first country to pose a complete ban on TikTok being accessed by its residents, other countries have been banning TikTok on government devices to help protect the privacy and security of private information.
These countries include Australia, Estonia, and the UK, as well as France, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand, India, Taiwan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
The top three EU bodies have also banned TikTok on staff devices.
Suffice to say, concerns over the data protection and security of TikTok as an app is growing – with more and more countries adopting an initial government device ban on the app, which could extend to other areas of the country if things do not change.
The ownership of TikTok may change the outlook for the app – but what do you think about these bans and what they mean for TikTok and its users?
