Which countries have banned TikTok?

Credit: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

TikTok is facing increasing limits and bans on a global scale.

In the U.S., a ban has been looming since last year, and a congressional hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made many a headline last year. Come 2024 and President Joe Biden has signed off on a bill that demands TikTok’s parent company ByteDance divest from the app or face a ban in the country.

Beyond, across North America, Europe and Asia, several countries have implemented some level of restriction on the the app, largely over privacy and cybersecurity concerns connected to ByteDance, which has ties to the Chinese government. International government bodies including the European Commission and NATO have banned staff from using TikTok on their corporate phones, as have federal governments in countries across the globe.

Here are the countries that have invoked partial or total bans on the app.

AfghanistanThe Taliban banned TikTok in Afghanistan in April 2022, saying that the platform’s content “was not consistent with Islamic laws”, according to Bloomberg.

Australia In April 2023, Australia banned the app from all federal government-owned devices, citing security concerns raised by the the Department of Home Affairs. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the ban would be imposed “as soon as practicable”.

BelgiumBelgium banned TikTok from the work phones of government officials in March 2023. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in a statement to Politico, “We can’t be naive: TikTok is a Chinese company that currently is mandated to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services.”

Canada Mirroring other countries, Canada banned TikTok from all government mobile devices in February 2023. Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, said the partial ban is due to the app presenting “an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

“The decision to remove and block TikTok from government mobile devices is being taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal regime that governs the information collected from mobile devices, and is in line with the approach of our international partners,” she said in a statement.

DenmarkDenmark’s Defense Ministry banned employees from having TikTok downloaded on their work devices in March 2023. Again related to security considerations assessed by the country’s Center for Cyber Security, staffers were told to remove the app as soon as possible.

IndiaIndia made moves against TikTok in 2020, implementing a nationwide ban on TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps, for “[engaging] in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” The government put the ban in place after a deadly border clash between Indian and Chinese military forces. India is the largest country to place a blanket ban on the app.

NepalIn November 2023, Nepal banned TikTok for disrupting “social harmony”. The BBC reported that the ban would come into effect immediately, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, who said that the app spread malicious content. TikTok is widely used in the country, especially by younger and female social media users.

Mashable Light Speed

The NetherlandsWhile not an outright ban, Dutch officials have been told not to use TikTok since January 2023. The recommendation is in line with several other government service bodies, but is being less monitored in the Netherlands, a spokesperson for the general affairs ministry told Politico.

New ZealandFollowing several European countries making similar decisions, New Zealand’s parliament announced a ban on TikTok on all staff devices in March 2023.

“This decision has been made based on our own experts’ analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally,” read the government’s statement made by parliamentary service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero. “Based on this information the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment.”

NorwayThe Norwegian Parliament banned TikTok on governmental devices in March 2023, though allowing civil servants to use the app on professional grounds on their personal devices. The country’s justice minister Emilie Enger Mehl said in a statement, “The Norwegian intelligence services single out Russia and China as the main risk factors for Norway’s security interests.” Mehl experienced her fair share of scrutiny over having TikTok on her work phone albeit before the ban.

SomaliaIn August 2023, Somalia banned TikTok over concerns of terror-related content. The government said terrorist groups are using platforms like TikTok and Telegram to spread “horrific images and misinformation to the public.”

TaiwanGovernment devices in Taiwan were banned from using Chinese-made software, including TikTok, in December 2022.

United KingdomBritish government ministers were banned from using TikTok on work phones and devices in March 2023, following reviews by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre. Cabinet office minister Oliver Dowden explained in a statement that the government’s decision “is in line with similar restrictions brought in by key international partners”, citing the U.S. and Canadian governments and the European Commission.

“Given the potentially sensitive nature of information which is stored on government devices, government policy on the management of third party applications will be strengthened and a precautionary ban on TikTok on government devices is being introduced,” the statement read.

United StatesIn short, it’s complicated. The latest: on April 24, President Biden signed the bill that will ban TikTok in the U.S. if ByteDance fails to divest from the app within the next year.

This is the result of efforts that made significant headway in 2024. On March 14, the House of Representatives passed a bill that could ban TikTok, unless ByteDance divests from the app. The bill was passed once again in April, and headed to the Senate afterwards.

In response, TikTok has been campaigning to save itself on U.S. soil, with its CEO Shou Zi Chew indicating that the company could take legal action, while also lobbying TikTok creators and businesses: “This bill gives more power to a handful of other social media companies. It will also take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators and small businesses. It will put more than 300,000 American jobs at risk and it will take away your TikTok.”

After the president signed the bill, TikTok released a statement calling the decision “unconstitutional.”

Tweet may have been deleted

“We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail. The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation,” read a statement posted by @TikTokPolicy on X.

Prior to all of this, in February 2023 federal agencies were asked to delete the app from staff phones, with the White House already disallowing TikTok on devices. In March 2023, Chew provided testimony in Congress, defending the app and bringing up “Project Texas”, the company’s initiative to protect user data in the U.S.. Months later, the Montana House of Representatives passed a ban on TikTok, leading to the possibility of the app becoming illegal if the state’s governor signs the bill. However, a judge blocked the state’s ban, declaring the bill to be unconstitutional with regards to the First Amendment right to free speech.

This is all to say, the future of TikTok in America remains in question. TikTok is fighting back, and so are its users.

Here’s everything you need to know about the potential U.S. ban of TikTok and which other Chinese apps it could affect.

Meera is a Culture Reporter at Mashable, joining the UK team in 2021. She writes about digital culture, mental health, big tech, entertainment, and more. Her work has also been published in The New York Times, Vice, Vogue India, and others.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.