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TikTok Has Been Banned In These Countries: Is The US Next?

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Published on January 23, 2025

After much back-and-forth in the US, President Trump has granted TikTok an additional 75 days to negotiate a sale or agreement with the government before potentially facing a ban.

But, while American users get more time with the app than initially expected, other countries around the world have already banned the use of TikTok.

Which Countries Have Banned TikTok?

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Here’s an up-to-date list of countries that have banned TikTok:

Country	Start of Ban	Reason for Ban
Afghanistan	2022	The Taliban banned the app to prevent TikTok from influencing youth
Albania	2025	The year-long ban was triggered after two teenagers got into a fight online via the app, resulting in a child’s death
Australia	TBC	Australia is set to ban TikTok – and other social media platforms – for under-16s
India	2020	TikTok, and other Chinese apps, were banned by India due to crumbling India-China relations at the border
Indonesia	2023	While users can enjoy the app in Indonesia, the country banned TikTok Shop for going against its ecommerce laws
Iran	*	TikTok, along with other international social media apps, are banned in the country
Jordan	2022	A temporary ban (that remains in place) following hateful and violent posts on TikTok
Kyrgyzstan	2023	TikTok was banned due to fears about what it could do to the mental health of children
Nepal	2023	Nepal banned TikTok for disturbing “social harmony and goodwill”
North Korea	*	Most citizens can’t access the internet in North Korea, which includes TikTok
Russia	*	Russians face restrictions on what they can see when using TikTok, and the government is considering a complete ban
Senegal	2023	An opposition candidate was accused of using TikTok to spread anti-government messaging
Somalia	2023	Somalia banned TikTok to limit the spread of misinformation, propaganda, and violent content
Syria	2024	TikTok is inaccessible under the Assad government because of internet censorship
Uzbekistan	2021	The ban was put in place after failing to comply with personal data protection laws

*Start of ban is unknown

A few other countries have banned the use of TikTok on government work phones, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. The US has also asked staff in federal agencies and the White House to stop using the app.

Interestingly, China has also banned the use of the international version of TikTok, despite TikTok being owned by the Chinese-owned company, ByteDance.

Will The US Ban TikTok Next?

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Despite Trump extending TikTok’s deadline to sell its US operations, the platform could still be banned in the US by early April.

Under Trump’s leadership, the federal government won’t enforce the law for now – despite it being upheld by the Supreme Court. However, Trump is still keen for TikTok to sell a large portion of the company to a US buyer.

In the meantime, should you continue to use TikTok? Absolutely. The app isn’t going anywhere for the time being – and it might stay that way after April’s deadline – but I’d recommend checking out alternatives to TikTok to diversify your social channels in case the ban does take place.

Written by:

Emma Ryan Writer

Emma is Lead Writer at Website Builder Expert, having first joined the team in 2022. She manages the website's topical content strategy to help website owners navigate the highs and lows of being online. Emma also specializes in following the development of leading website builders Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify, through hands-on testing and research. Her work and expertise have been featured in Startups.co.uk, Digiday, TechRound, Industry Today, and Digital Information World.