TikTok: UK mirrors Canada, U.S. and EU bans
U.S. president and senators demand ByteDance divest from TikTok's U.S. operations.

The UK has banned TikTok on government electronic devices over security concerns. This follows similar restrictions by the U.S., Canada and EU. British officials say the ban is a prudent step following advice from cyber security experts.
U.S. senators say Chinese parent company ByteDance must divest from Tiktok over national security concerns. Under the bipartisan RESTRICT Act, the commerce secretary has the power to ban apps and products made by foreign adversaries, including China. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) says ByteDance must not be allowed to even indirectly control TikTok. He said his ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act is the only bill that would ban TikTok.
China’s foreign ministry has condemned restrictions on TikTok. It says the U.S. has not proven TikTok threatens its national security. China says the U.S. should “stop spreading disinformation about data security, stop suppressing relevant companies, and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for foreign businesses to invest and operate.”
In 2020, President Joe Biden had ordered ByteDance to divest from TikTok operations in the U.S. and any data obtained from U.S. users.
Sources (8)
- www.gov.uk
- UK statement on TikTok ban
- www.whitehouse.gov
- WH statement on RESTRICT Act
- RESTRICT Act text
- DATA act text
- www.fmprc.gov.cn
- China MFA spokesperson presser
- www.fmprc.gov.cn
- China MFA spokesperson presser
- 2022 Foreign Investment Review
- Senator Marco Rubio tweet
Media Coverage (20)
- Al Jazeera
- China: US spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok
- Associated Press
- Why TikTok’s security risks keep raising fears
- China says US suppressing TikTok after Biden administration calls for sale
- TikTok dismisses calls for Chinese owners to sell stakes
- Axios
- U.S. tells TikTok owners to sell app or face a ban
- BBC News
- TikTok to be banned on UK government phones
- US threatens TikTok ban if app is not sold
- France 24
- UK bans TikTok on government devices over security concerns
- US urged TikTok to part ways with Chinese ByteDance to avoid a national ban
- Reuters
- New Zealand to ban TikTok on devices linked to parliament
- U.S. lawmaker wants TikTok CEO to detail actions to protect kids
- UK bans TikTok on government phones over security concerns
- Factbox: TikTok’s Chinese ownership, security concerns spark bans across nations
- South China Morning Post
- Beijing flashes disapproval amid reports Biden administration will force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face US ban
- UK to ban TikTok from government-issued phones in latest spat with Beijing
- United Press International
- Britain bans TikTok on government devices
- U.S. threatens TikTok ban, demands Chinese owners sell stakes
- Wall Street Journal
- TikTok CEO’s Message to Washington: A Sale Won’t Solve Security Concerns
- Washington Post
- How TikTok went from teen sensation to political pariah
- Biden’s TikTok plan faces the same challenges that doomed Trump’s ban