Which countries have banned TikTok and why?

From Nepal, Afghanistan, to India and Australia, the TikTok ban took a whole lot of attention worldwide. Why it happened and which countries adopted this ban will be discussed in this guide.

Increased limits and restrictions on TikTok have been a topic to discuss on a global scale. Some countries banned it because of legal issues, and some included that it does not go with their norms. What is the actual reason behind banning? What countries are involved in it and what reasons do they state for the ban? Let us see.

List of Countries that Banned TikTok: When and Why They Did This

Here is a list of countries that banned TikTok and when:

1. Afghanistan

Taliban banned TikTok in Afghanistan in April 2022. The platform content was claimed to be the main reason behind its ban. Concerns about the app misleading the younger generation and its content being consistent with Islamic laws were stated as the main reasons behind the ban.

2. Australia

Australia banned TikTok on April 4, 2023. Although it has not issued a nationwide ban on the app, the Australian federal government banned TikTok on all government-issued devices.

3. Canada

Cannada banned TikTok from all government mobile devices, and it was said that the partial ban is due to the app presenting an unacceptable level of risk to privacy. The decision was taken as a precaution to remove and block TikTok from government mobile devices.

4. Denmark

Defence Ministry of Denmark banned the app usage by employees. Again, the reason seen here was security considerations assessed by the country’s Centre for Cyber Security.

5. The Netherlands

Although TikTok is not banned, it is restricted on government devices due to data security concerns. The Dutch government advised against using apps like TikTok on official devices.

6. New Zealand

Staff devices in New Zealand experienced a ban on TikTok. “This decision has been made based on our own experts’ analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally,” the government’s statement.

7. Taiwan

Chinese-made software in December 2022 was declared banned for Government devices. TikTok was included as well.

8. United Kingdom

Work phones and devices are banned from using the application. The UK, on March 16, 2023, announced a ban on the app.

9. United States

The U.S has never placed a nationwide ban on an app, but it was the first time they were doing so by banning TikTok. Although the US attempted to ban apps nationwide before TikTok, the attempts overlapped with significant legal and constitutional challenges and were never fully enforced as federal bans. We can say that the first successful nationwide federal ban was TikTok. The SEO media agency in the US started making re-evaluation of media strategies after the TikTok ban.

10. India

In 2020, India showed moves against TikTok. It implemented a nationwide ban on TikTok, and it was part of a broader move to restrict 59 Chinese-owned apps, including TikTok, due to concerns about national security. Data privacy and cyber threats were also concerns that led to this ban.

11. Nepal

Nepal banned the app in November 2023, disrupting social harmony was the reason. The ban came into effect immediately. The reason behind this ban was that the app spread malicious content, as TikTok is widely used in the country, especially by younger and female social media users.

12. Pakistan

Pakistan banned TikTok due to concerns about content deemed to be against religious principles, as well as broader issues related to national security and cultural values.

13. Jordan

Jordan temporarily banned the app in December 2022 following civil unrest and clashes between protestors and police.

14. Senegal

Senegal banned the app in August 2023. The government blocked access to the platform. The concerns were about the spread of hateful and subversive messages. It was also believed the platform could be used to organise protests.

15. Somalia

August 2023 was the time when Somalia banned TikTok. Concerns of terror-related content led to this decision. According to the government, terrorist groups were using platforms like TikTok and Telegram to spread horrific images and misinformation to the public.

16. Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan temporarily banned the app in August 2023. The reason behind this was stated to the concerns about the app’s negative impact on children’s moral development.

As you can see, many countries, because of legal issues or national security, banned the app, whereas other countries stated that the app can have misleading information and misguide the younger generation.

Final Thoughts

India, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Somalia, including all these countries, TikTok has been banned in several other countires. Some believed it is a threat to national security; some stated that the younger generation’s mindset would be negatively affected.