KATHMANDU: TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, is facing increasing scrutiny and bans in several countries, including the United States, where new legislation could lead to a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, divests. This potential ban reflects long-standing bipartisan concerns in Washington about privacy and cybersecurity issues associated with the app. TikTok has already been banned in several countries and restricted on government-issued devices in others due to similar concerns about data security and misinformation.

In Afghanistan, TikTok has been banned since 2022, along with other apps, by the Taliban government. Similarly, in Australia, the app is prohibited on devices issued by the federal government due to concerns raised by intelligence and security agencies. Belgium, Canada, and Denmark have also imposed bans or restrictions on TikTok on government-owned devices, citing risks to privacy, security, and misinformation.

Other countries, such as India and Nepal, have imposed nationwide bans on TikTok due to privacy and security concerns, while in countries like Taiwan and the United Kingdom, bans apply specifically to government devices. The United States has ordered federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices, and more than half of the U.S. states have implemented similar bans. Additionally, the U.S. Congress and armed forces have also banned the app from official devices.