TikTok is in the crosshairs of U.S. authorities, where new legislation threatens to impose a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, divests. This will be the biggest blow yet to the popular video-sharing app, which has faced various restrictions across the world.
TikTok has already been banned in a few countries and on government-issued devices in several others, due to official concerns that the app poses privacy and cybersecurity issues.
Those concerns are reflected in the U.S. bill, which is the culmination of long-running bipartisan concerns in Washington that China's communist leaders could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data, or influence Americans by deleting or promoting certain content. TikTok has long said it does not share data with the Chinese government and its CEO has taken a defiant stance, vowing to fight back.
Here are the places where TikTok has been partially or completely blocked:
Afghanistan
TikTok has been banned since 2022, as has the video game PUBG, after the country's Taliban leaders decided to block access to it on the grounds that it protects young people from "disinformation".
Australia
TikTok is not permitted on devices issued by the Australian federal government. Prosecutor Mark Dreyfus said he made the decision after obtaining advice from the country's intelligence and security agencies.
Belgium
The National Security Council decided last month to indefinitely ban TikTok on devices owned or paid for by the federal government. The ban was issued on a temporary basis last year due to concerns over cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said this was based on warnings from the State Security Service and the country's Cybersecurity Center.
Canada
Using TikTok on federally issued devices is prohibited. Officials cited an "unacceptable" risk to privacy and security and said the app would be removed from devices and employees would be banned from downloading it.
Denmark
The Danish Ministry of Defense has banned its employees from using TikTok on their work phones and ordered employees who have it installed to remove the app from their devices as soon as possible. The ministry said the reasons for the ban included "significant security considerations" as well as "the very limited need to use the app for work."
EU
The European Parliament, European Commission and Council of the European Union, the three main institutions in the 27-member bloc, imposed a ban on TikTok on employee devices. Under the ban imposed by the European Parliament, lawmakers and employees were also advised to remove the TikTok app from their personal devices.
France
“Recreational” use of TikTok and other social media apps like Twitter and Instagram has been banned on government employees' phones due to concerns about inadequate data security measures. The French government did not mention specific apps, but said the decision came after other governments took steps targeting TikTok.
India
India imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps such as messaging app WeChat in 2020 over privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese forces on the disputed Himalayan border, killing 20 Indian soldiers and injuring dozens. Companies were given the opportunity to answer questions about privacy and security requirements, but the ban became permanent in 2021.
Indonesia
TikTok is not completely banned in the sprawling and populous Southeast Asian country, only its online retail function, after authorities cracked down on e-commerce transactions made on the social media platforms in order to protect small businesses.
Latvia
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich tweeted that he had deleted his TikTok account and that the app was also blocked on official State Department smartphones.
Holland
The Dutch central government has banned apps, including TikTok, from mobile phones professional employees for data security reasons. A government statement did not specifically name TikTok, but said officials were discouraged from obtaining apps "from countries in which offensive cyberware against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests is installed and using them on their professional mobile devices.
Pakistan
Pakistani authorities have temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since 2020, citing concerns that the app promotes unethical content.
Somalia
The government has ordered telecommunications companies to block access to TikTok, as well as messaging app Telegram and gambling platform 1XBET. Officials said they were concerned that these platforms could distribute extremist content, nude photos and other materials considered offensive to Somali culture and Islam.
Taiwan
Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned the app posed a national security risk. Government devices, including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers, are prohibited from using software made in China, including apps such as TikTok, its Chinese equivalent Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese content-focused app on lifestyle.
United Kingdom
British authorities have banned TikTok from mobile phones used by ministers and civil servants. Officials said the ban was a “precautionary measure” for security reasons and did not apply to personal devices. The UK Parliament subsequently banned TikTok from all official agencies and the “wider parliamentary network”. The semi-autonomous Scottish government and City of London council have also banned TikTok from staff devices. The BBC has urged staff to remove TikTok from company devices unless they use it for editorial and marketing reasons.
UNITED STATES
US authorities have ordered government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices and systems due to data security concerns. More than half of the fifty US states have also banned the app from official agencies, as have Congress and the US armed forces. Montana's effort to impose a statewide ban failed, as did Virginia's proposal to ban its use in children.