TIKTOK is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world with millions of users around the world.
However, several governments have taken steps to ban the app due to concerns about the data used on the platform and who it is being processed by.
Could TikTok be banned in the UK?
The app was banned on UK government devices due to concerns about government data leaks.
This decision was taken on March 16, 2023, because the government wanted to ensure cybersecurity.
MPs who still have the app will find the service blocked if they try to use it via parliamentary wifi.
However, there has been no information to suggest that any steps will be taken to ban the app from the general public.
How many people in the UK use TikTok?
The UK is believed to have at least 23.3 million users of the app.
This was revealed in data released by Ofcom in 2022.
The data also showed that TikTok was the fastest growing news source between 2020 and 2022.
The popular app – known for its memes, dances and trends – exploded during lockdown.
But TikTok’s Chinese roots are under scrutiny as governments raise security concerns about the app’s potential ties to the Chinese state.
There are also issues related to in-app surveillance technology, potential personal data breaches, and other matters including user safety and content regulation.
Currently, there is no parental lock or way to police the app.
Will TikTok be banned in the US and other countries?
On March 13, 2024, the House of Representatives passed legislation that could ban TikTok in the US unless the app splits from its parent company, ByteDance.
The legislation must now pass the Senate, but if that happens, US President Joe Biden has confirmed he would sign the bill into law.
The legislation gives TikTok about five months to cut ties with ByteDance.
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On April 24, 2024, President Biden signed a bill that will potentially ban TikTok in the United States.
The bill will give ByteDance nine months or a year to sell the popular video-sharing app or face a nationwide ban.
This is not the first time an American president has tried to ban it.
Former US President Donald Trump announced his intention to ban TikTok in the US, but it was blocked by the courts.
India banned the app in 2020 after a conflict between Indian and Chinese troops, saying it was to protect national security.
Pakistan has banned the app on four temporary occasions since October 2020, believing the app promoted “immoral content”.
Did China ban the app?
TikTok cannot be accessed in China without using a virtual private network (VPN).
However, China has its own version of the app called DouYin, which is extremely popular.
DouYin is also owned by parent company ByteDance, which has been careful to distance itself from the Chinese government.
But the company was rocked by leaked reports published on The Guardian in 2019, which revealed that Beijing was instructing the app’s moderators to remove videos that mentioned Tiananmen Square or Tibetan Independence.
ByteDance, created by Chinese tech mogul Zhang Yiming, reported a huge profit of £3 billion in 2019.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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