While the app has been successful amongst younger folks, it has additionally confronted accusations of privateness violations and considerations over its alleged ties to the Chinese authorities.
TikTok, the favored short-form video-sharing app that has created celebrities out of scholars and housewives, has been on the centre of controversy in recent times.
While the app has been successful amongst younger folks, it has additionally confronted accusations of privateness violations and considerations over its alleged ties to the Chinese authorities.
As a consequence, a number of international locations all over the world have banned or restricted the app.
India was the primary nation to ban TikTok in June 2020, citing considerations over nationwide safety and knowledge privateness.
The transfer was seen as a part of a broader crackdown on Chinese apps and firms amid rising tensions between the 2 international locations.
The ban left TikTok’s guardian firm, ByteDance, reeling as India had been its largest market, with over 200 million customers.
In July 2020, the United States additionally thought-about banning TikTok, citing related considerations over nationwide safety and knowledge privateness.
The Trump administration threatened to ban the app until it was bought to a US firm, citing considerations that the app may very well be utilized by the Chinese authorities to spy on Americans.
Despite the makes an attempt by the Trump administration to ban the app, in September 2020, a federal choose blocked the ban, stating that it was “arbitrary and capricious”.
However, regardless of preliminary resistance, the US authorities authorized an unprecedented ban on the usage of TikTok on federal authorities gadgets this previous December.
As a consequence, greater than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official authorities gadgets.
READ MORE: US lawmakers push to ban TikTok on authorities gadgets
EU, US, Canada take motion
On Monday, the White House widened the ban to incorporate all authorities companies, giving federal staff 30 days to take away the app from their work gadgets.
Meanwhile, the EU’s govt department stated final week it had briefly banned TikTok from telephones utilized by staff as a cybersecurity measure.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted go well with, banning employees from putting in the app on any cellphone that had entry to electronic mail or parliamentary networks.
Also on Tuesday, Canada joined the US and EU in enacting a sweeping ban, stopping TikTok from being put in on all government-issued cellular gadgets, as western officers take motion over the Chinese-owned video-sharing app.
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, didn’t rule out additional motion. “I suspect that as the government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones, many Canadians from business to private individuals will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices,” he stated.
On March 1, Turkish authorities fined TikTok a complete of 1.75 million lira ($93,000) for not taking ample measures to guard customers from illegal processing of their knowledge, the Personal Data Protection Board (KVKK) stated.
Several different international locations have additionally taken motion in opposition to TikTok. In January 2021, Pakistan banned TikTok for “immoral and indecent” content material, whereas in February 2021, Myanmar banned the app as a part of a broader crackdown on social media following a army coup.
In June 2021, Nigeria additionally banned the app, citing considerations over the “use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
Afghanistan’s Taliban management banned TikTok and the sport PUBG in September 2022 on the grounds of defending youths from “being misled.”
In December 2022, Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned that TikTok posed a nationwide safety threat.
READ MORE: Türkiye penalises TikTok for weak knowledge safety measures
TikTok bans spark debate
The bans on TikTok have sparked debate over the position of social media corporations and their accountability to guard consumer knowledge and privateness.
Some argue that the bans are essential to guard nationwide safety and forestall international governments from accessing delicate info, whereas others see the bans as an infringement on free speech.
Despite the bans, TikTok stays one of the vital widespread social media apps on the earth, with over one billion customers worldwide.
The app has taken steps to handle considerations over privateness and safety, together with opening a “transparency centre” within the US to permit exterior specialists to evaluation its insurance policies and practices.
In conclusion, the bans on TikTok replicate rising considerations over privateness and nationwide safety in an more and more related world. While some international locations have chosen to ban the app outright, others have imposed restrictions or referred to as for larger oversight of social media corporations.
As the controversy over the position of social media in society continues, it stays to be seen how governments and tech corporations will stability the competing pursuits of privateness, safety, and free speech.
READ MORE: China’s ByteDance finds staff obtained TikTok knowledge of two journalists
Source: TRTWorld and companies
Source: www.trtworld.com
