--- title: "TikTok's Chinese ownership, security concerns spark bans across nations" description: "March 17 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes in the popular video app or face a possible U.S. ban, the company told Reuters this week." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "Newsdeck" author: "Reuters" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-03-17-tiktoks-chinese-ownership-security-concerns-spark-bans-across-nations/" published: "2023-03-17T04:53:51" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 464 --- # TikTok's Chinese ownership, security concerns spark bans across nations > March 17 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes in the popular video app or face a possible U.S. ban, the company told Reuters this week. By Reuters · Published 17 March 2023, 06:53 SAST ## Key points - As U.S. legislators have introduced a bill to ban TikTok and other countries and entities have implemented partial or complete bans, the app's proximity to the Chinese government has caused concern over user data across the world. Numerous governments, educational institutions and states have taken action to prohibit its use on their devices due to security risks. - New Zealand, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Belgium, Canada, Taiwan and the United States have implemented partial or complete bans on TikTok. - European Commission and European Parliament have issued orders banning the use of the app on their staff's phones due to cybersecurity concerns. - The U.S. government has recommended ByteDance divest TikTok over fears that user data could be passed on to China's government. - Several U.S. educational institutions and states have also banned the app on university devices and Wi-Fi networks. ## Content The move follows the introduction of a new U.S. legislation that would allow the White House to ban TikTok or other foreign-based technologies if they pose a national security risk. Other countries and entities have also elected to ban the app. TikTok is owned by China-based ByteDance, the world's most valuable start-up. Numerous countries have raised concerns over its proximity to the Chinese government and hold over user data across the world. Here is a list of countries and entities that have implemented a partial or complete ban on TikTok: New Zealand Became the latest country to target TikTok, imposing a ban on the use of the app on devices with access to the parliamentary network amid cybersecurity concerns. India [Banned TikTok](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AKBN24025A&linkedFromStory=true) and dozens of other apps by Chinese developers on all devices in June 2020, claiming that they were potentially harmful to the country's security and integrity. Afghanistan Is in [talks to ban TikTok](https://twitter.com/mcitafghanistan/status/1571109819553320960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1571109819553320960%7Ctwgr%5E1346facf77fceeb136cfd8047580ab0266715aa9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.com%2F2022%2F09%2F21%2Fafghanistan_bans_tiktok%2F) and video game PUBG, with the Taliban claiming those were leading Afghan youths "astray." Pakistan Banned TikTok at least four times, with the latest ban ending in [November](https://twitter.com/PTAofficialpk/status/1461757665802137610), over what the government said was immoral and indecent content on the app. Belgium Belgian federal government employees will no longer be allowed to [use TikTok](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N35I0YU&linkedFromStory=true) on their work phones, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on March 10. Canada The nation has banned TikTok on [government-issued devices](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N3573KV&linkedFromStory=true) due to security risks. Taiwan Banned TikTok and some other Chinese apps on state-owned devices and [in December 2022 launched a probe](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3390A1&linkedFromStory=true) into the social media app over suspected illegal operations on the island United States The U.S. government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a powerful national security body, in 2020 unanimously recommended ByteDance divest TikTok because of fears that user data could be passed on to China's government. In early March, legislators from both major U.S. parties introduced a bill to ban the popular app in the United States. Congress previously passed a bill in December 2022 to ban TikTok on federal devices. U.S. Educational Institutions Boise State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Texas-Austin, and West Texas A&M University are some of the [schools to ban TikTok](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N34M0YX&linkedFromStory=true) on university devices and Wi-Fi networks. U.S. States Texas, Maryland, Alabama and Utah are among over 25 states that have [issued orders](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N3330XP&linkedFromStory=true) to staff against using TikTok on government devices. European Commission and European Parliament The European Union's executive arm, the European Commission, has [issued an order](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3530P3&linkedFromStory=true) to ban the use of popular Chinese app TikTok on its staff's phones due to cybersecurity concerns. Separately, the European Parliament also banned the app from staff phones. (Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Eva Mathews and Chavi Mehta; Editing by David Gaffen, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Simon Cameron-Moore)