Global boycott of TikTok – dozens of countries partially or completely block the Chinese social network amid national security concerns (map)
More than a dozen countries around the world have imposed a full or partial ban on TikTok. Most of the restrictions have affected the public sector or government devices, but many private companies are blocking the app unilaterally.
Last month, the White House gave federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from all phones and systems, and the Department of Justice and the FBI launched an investigation into the app’s alleged spying on journalists. The U.S. government is also considering a complete ban on TikTok in the country if the Chinese owners of the social network ByteDance do not sell the American version of the app.
According to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Mandeep Singh and Damian Reimertz, TikTok’s business in the United States can be valued at $40-50 billion.
- Several American colleges have banned TikTok from their local internet networks due to security concerns.
- The BBC, a British government-funded news agency, on Sunday asked employees to remove TikTok from their devices if it is not needed for “editorial and marketing purposes.”
- Canada has also announced a ban on the use of TikTok on government devices, saying it poses an “unacceptable” level of risk to privacy and security.
- The European Commission ordered employees to delete TikTok from their phones by March 15.
- The UK and New Zealand also announced measures last week to block TikTok on government devices.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chu himself claims that selling the app to an American company will not solve any national security problems, and instead points to enhanced data privacy measures. Chu is expected to testify before a congressional committee on Thursday.
