Factbox-TikTok's Chinese ownership, security concerns spark bans across nations

[February 28, 2023]  (Reuters) -The White House has set a 30-day deadline for U.S. government agencies to remove Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from all federal devices and systems.

A 3-D printed figures are seen in front of displayed Tik Tok logo in this picture illustration taken November 7, 2019. Picture taken November 7, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

The ban, which was ordered by the U.S. Congress last year, follows similar steps by Canada, which cited an "unacceptable level" of risk to privacy and security as a reason.

The move has thrown a spotlight on the social media app owned by ByteDance, the world's most valuable start-up, and raised concerns of 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:

India

Banned TikTok 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 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, over what the government said was immoral and indecent content on the app.

Taiwan

Banned TikTok and some other Chinese apps on state-owned devices and in December 2022 launched a probe into the social media app over suspected illegal operations on the island

United States

The White House set a 30-day deadline for U.S. government agencies to purge TikTok from all federal devices and systems, according to a memorandum seen by Reuters.

U.S. Congress 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 on university devices and Wi-Fi networks.

U.S. States

Texas, Maryland, Alabama and Utah are among over 25 states that have issued orders to staff against using TikTok on government devices.

European Commission

The European Union's executive arm, the European Commission, has issued an order to ban the use of popular Chinese app TikTok on its staff's phones due to cybersecurity concerns.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Eva Mathews and Chavi Mehta; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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