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TikTok: UK mirrors Canada, U.S. and EU bans

U.S. president and senators demand ByteDance divest from TikTok's U.S. operations.

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

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)
helpPrimary sources where the above facts were found.
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
Twitter
Senator Marco Rubio tweet
Media Coverage (20)
helpArticles from other media outlets that covered this story.
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