TikTok has attracted a huge population over the past few years. Recently, news has been making headlines that say that Joe Biden has signed a bill in the US that is supposed to get TikTok banned. But did you know that in addition to the US, many other countries have banned TikTok?
Here in this article, we will be talking about where TikTok banned and why
Let’s get started!
Where is TikTok Banned and Why?
So, first, let’s just discuss what countries have banned TikTok. Here’s a list of all those states or countries where TikTok was banned in the past or is banned till now:
Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been facing tough times in the last decade. With the fighting situation there and the changing leadership, there have been many important decisions that have been made in the country since then.
The Taliban government banned TikTok in April 2022. According to the Taliban government, TikTok seemed to mislead youths which is why it is important to ban the app.
Armenia
In recent years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have had border clashes over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Both the countries claim to own the border. During the days of these clashes back in September 2022, Armenia reportedly banned the app multiple times.
Austria
In May 2023, Austria also became one of those countries that had TikTok banned. The Austrian Interior Minister, Karner, said while addressing the conference, “It will be banned from work mobile phones. On private phones outside the state network, it will of course be possible (to use the app)”
Australia
Australia too, like Austria, banned the use of TikTok on work mobile phones in April 2023. However, there is no ban on TikTok to be used by the general public.
Azerbaijan
As mentioned earlier, Armenia and Azerbaijan have had severe clashes regarding the borders in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan, like Armenia, had banned TikTok in September 2022.
However, it was banned for a short period and was unbanned again. But it was banned once again one year later. However, it was restored on October 1, 2023, and has been working perfectly fine since then.
Bangladesh:
In August 2021, in addition to banning TikTok, Bangladesh also banned some other apps. A Bangladeshi court said the government must delete TikTok and others from the app store. They wanted to protect young people from bad influence. Later, TikTok could come back if it followed Bangladesh’s rules.
Belgium:
In March 2024, Belgium said no to TikTok on government phones. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said they must keep information safe. But just like Austria and Australia, regular people can still use TikTok on their phones.
Canada:
Canada said no to TikTok on government phones in February 2023. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “As you know, Canada determined that no government phones or devices can have the TikTok app. That’s a matter of security and safety,”
China:
It would be wrong to say that TikTok is banned in China. It isn’t banned but it isn’t available under the same name “TikTok”. They have their version of the app, Douyin. The government checks Douyin to make sure it’s compliant with the guidelines set by the government.
Denmark:
Just like other countries mentioned in the list earlier, Denmark too has a strict policy against using TikTok on work phones. In March 2023, Denmark’s Defense Ministry said no to TikTok on work phones. Journalists need special permission to use it. This is because of concerns about safety online.
Estonia:
In March 2023, the minister of IT and foreign trade Kristjan Järvan told the media that all those mobile phones that are given by the state to the government officials will not have access to TikTok.
Additionally, he also said that if someone from the government officials uses his private phone at work, they won’t be checking into them.
European Union:
The top three EU bodies—the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the EU Council—have collectively banned the use of TikTok. This ban is specifically for their staff devices due to cybersecurity worries. The European Parliament implemented its ban on March 20. It also urged members of parliament and staff to uninstall the app from their devices.
France:
Effective immediately, the French government says no to fun apps like TikTok, Netflix, and Instagram on the work phones of 2.5 million civil workers. This new rule, which kicked in immediately on March 24, doesn’t affect their phones. France leads the way in banning these apps on government devices.
India:
TikTok was banned in India due to concerns about privacy and security, especially during the China-India conflict. The Indian government was worried that TikTok might share users’ data with China, posing a risk to India’s security. The ban was imposed on June 29, 2020, to protect people’s safety and privacy. Many people moved to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels after.
Indonesia:
On February 20, 2024, a cabinet minister said that the Chinese short video app TikTok is still violating Indonesia’s rule that bans in-app transactions. This happened after it took control of the country’s biggest e-commerce platform to restart its online shopping business.
TikTok had been forced to close its relatively new e-commerce service, TikTok Shop. This was done in Indonesia after the country banned online shopping on social media platforms.
Iran:
Iran has banned many social media platforms such as TikTok, X, and Facebook.
Ireland:
Just like a few countries already mentioned in the article, Ireland is one of those countries that have banned the use of TikTok on government-issued phones. In April 2023, Ireland stopped TikTok on government phones.
Jordan:
Jordan also joined the list of the countries that banned TikTok in December 2022. The reason behind its ban was nothing but a group of individuals who posted some videos that aimed to spread false news and acts of violence. And soon after a protest, TikTok got banned in Jordan as well.
Kyrgyzstan:
Kyrgyzstan banned TikTok in August 2023 saying that TikTok affects children’s moral development.
The Kyrgyz minister of culture said on August 30, 2023, that it had directed the Digital Development Ministry to ban the app because it lacked user controls for children.
Latvia:
In March 2023, Latvia too like many other countries on the list said no to TikTok on work phones for the Foreign Ministry. This rule too was only for work phones and public mobile phones were exempted from the law.
Malta:
The Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) issued an order to ban TikTok on all government devices. The main concern behind the order was a leak of information to Beijing-linked groups. According to MITA, “The dangers associated with TikTok may be grouped as data gathering, personally identifiable, possible software tampering by TikTok users’ devices, and possible manipulation of material designed to influence public opinion”
The Netherlands:
In March 2023, the Dutch government banned the use of TikTok on government phones. The reason again was the threat to data security. This is what the government had to say about the app, “For civil servants employed by the national government, it is immediately discouraged to have apps from countries with an offensive cyber program against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests installed and used on their mobile work devices”.
Nepal:
On 13th November 2023, the government of Nepal also announced a ban on the famous social media app TikTok saying that its content could be harmful to society. The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) issued an order to ban TikTok from all devices.
New Zealand:
On March 17, 2024, New Zealand said no to TikTok on work phones but this law was particularly for the lawmakers. Unlike other countries where the ban was for all government officials, New Zealand announced a ban on TikTok specifically only for lawmakers.
North Korea:
Access to the internet in North Korea is highly restricted. And the same goes for TikTok. TikTok in North Korea is off-limits.
Norway:
In March 2023, TikTok was banned in Norway by the Norwegian parliament. But like many other countries in the list, this law too was implemented on the government bodies and phones. Civil servants have been exempted from the law and have been allowed to use the app but on professional grounds. The reason behind the ban was the conflict they had with Russia and China.
Pakistan:
There has been a ban on TikTok multiple times. The Pakistani government has banned the app 4 times since October 2020. The reason behind these temporary bans was inappropriate and immoral content on the app. But the Pakistani government has lifted the ban since November 2021 and has been that way since then.
Russia:
Although TikTok has not yet been banned in Russia, it might stop soon. Its use has been restricted in Russia and the reason behind the restriction is the promotion of their apps. The Russian government wants the people of Russia to use Russian apps instead.
Somalia:
Somalia stopped TikTok in August 2023. The Somalian communication minister placed a ban on TikTok, Telegram, and 1XBet to limit the spread of indecent information through the platforms.
Taiwan:
In December 2022, the Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang placed a ban on TikTok. TikTok was considered a national security threat and FIA was then asked to place a ban on the app.
United Kingdom:
In March 2023, the UK was also included in the list of the countries that had banned TikTok but this ban too was only for the government officials. The decision was made after a deep analysis found that there could be a risk and the data could be misused by the app.
United States:
In March 2023, the US said no to TikTok for Congress and the military. Half of the states also stopped it. US officials have repeatedly tried to warn the public in the past that TikTok can threaten national security.
Bottom Line
TikTok has been banned in several countries due to concerns related to data privacy, security, and its influence on young people. Governments like the US, India, and many European countries have restricted its use on government devices. The main reason has mostly been concerns about national security and data protection. In some cases like Pakistan, bans have been lifted after certain conditions were met. But other bans remain in place. Despite these challenges, TikTok remains a popular platform globally and people have been using this platform to engage users and spark creativity.
