HERE ARE THE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BANS ON TIKTOK

A growing number of governments have banned the popular video-sharing app TikTok from devices issued to staff as privacy and cybersecurity concerns rise. A handful have imposed nationwide bans on the app.

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TikTok, owned by Chinese technology company Bytedance, has long maintained that it doesn’t share data with the Chinese government. It says a project to store American user data in the U.S. will put it out of China’s reach and it disputes accusations that it collects any more user data than U.S. social media companies do.

The arguments fell flat with U.S. lawmakers who grilled the company’s CEO last month, with some pushing for a total ban for American users amid reports that Washington wants to force ByteDance to sell off TikTok.

Many governments remain cautious about the platform and its ties to China. Here are the places that have implemented partial or total bans on TikTok:

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership banned TikTok and the game PUBG in 2022 on the grounds of protecting young people from “being misled.”

AUSTRALIA

TikTok was banned from devices issued by the Australian federal government. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he made the decision after getting advice from the country’s intelligence and security agencies.

BELGIUM

Belgium temporarily banned TikTok from devices owned or paid for by the federal government, citing worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said the six-month ban was based on warnings from the country’s state security service and cybersecurity center.

CANADA