With the perspective of a complete ban in Tik Tok a possibility in the UK, New Zealand is the latest to ban the video-sharing app on government phones.
The popular app is under intense scrutiny for its links to China, to the US, where there are 100 million Tiktok users, now demanding that their Chinese owners sell their shares or face a total ban.
China and TikTok insist there are no security risks. But some other countries are concerned that TikTok user data could be passed into the country or used to promote pro-Beijing views.
One billion people use the app around the world.
President BidenThe threat follows an attempt to donald trump to ban the application, in 2020, when the the move was blocked by US courts..
So which countries have taken steps to ban TikTok, and who exactly is banned?
Here’s what you need to know.
Which countries have banned Tiktok?
New Zealand
New Zealand MPs were told today (Friday March 17) that TikTok will be banned on all parliamentary devices as “the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment.”
In an email, MPs were told: “The decision to block the TikTok app was made based on our own analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally.”
Some MPs post regularly on TikTok, including Act leader David Seymour, and will still be able to do so on their personal phones.
USA
American politicians in the House of Representatives were ordered to remove TikTok from their work phones and were banned from downloading it last December.
More than half of the US states have also banned the use of TikTok on government devices, and both Democrats and Republicans have come together to create legislation that give the White House the power to ban it through the country.
United Kingdom
Yesterday (Thursday March 16) the The UK government banned TikTok in all government devices with immediate effect.
All staff were ordered to withdraw to the app ‘immediately’.
This followed fears that there could be a risk around how certain platforms access and use sensitive government data.
Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said: “As many colleagues will know, social media applications collect and store vast amounts of user data.”
TikTok said it was “disappointed” by the move which was based “on fundamental misconceptions and driven by broader geopolitics.”
EU
He EU announced a ban on TikTok on its employees’ work phones last month.
At the European Parliament, this comes into effect on Monday (March 20) and staff have been advised to remove the app entirely from their work devices.
Certain EU countries, including Netherlandsand Belgiumthey have introduced similar bans for staff.
Afghanistan
AfghanistanTaliban leaders banned the app last year for “misleading the younger generation.”
India
India imposed a temporary ban on all in the country on Tiktok in 2020, and this was made permanent in January 2021.
The Indian government acted over privacy and security concerns, also banning other Chinese apps, including the WeChat messaging service.
taiwan
Public sector workers in taiwan they are prohibited from using TikTok and other Chinese software.
Canada
Anyone working for national and local government departments in Canada You are prohibited from using TikTok on official devices. The country moved quickly to bring this in after the United States did.
Some countries have introduced temporary bans on TikTok, including PakistanJordan, bangladeshi and Indonesia.
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