Montana was the first U.S. state to pass legislation banning TikTok on all personal devices.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban Chinese-owned TikTok from operating in the state to protect residents from alleged intelligence gathering by China, making it the first U.S. state to ban the popular short video app.
TikTok has been banned on government devices in various countries out of a concern the app's owner, China-based ByteDance, is sharing users' private data with the Chinese government, raising concerns about how much longer many people around the globe will be able to access the app.
ALBANY — More states are moving to ban TikTok on government equipment, but New York was one of the first to do so — quietly adopting an internal policy in June 2020 that prohibited its use on mobile devices as officials sought to strengthen security measures and guard against cyber threats and other data intrusions.
Bill to ban TikTok, other apps from state devices passes CA senate. (KTXL) — A bill to ban certain apps perceived to be security threats from state-issued or -owned phones passed the California Senate with bipartisan support Tuesday.
As of April 2023, at least 34 (of 50) states have announced or enacted bans on state government agencies, employees, and contractors using TikTok on government-issued devices. State bans only affect government employees and do not prohibit civilians from having or using the app on their personal devices.
Why does the US want to ban TikTok? The United States wants to ban the application for several reasons. The main reason is national security. U.S. lawmakers are concerned that ByteDance may leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government if the Chinese government forced them to.
AUSTIN, Texas - TikTok is a widely popular social media app. Its ties to the Chinese government resulted in an executive order, earlier this year, by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The action prohibits the social media app, and others like it, from being downloaded onto any state computer or smartphone.
TikTok is being banned in 2023 due to allegations against its China-based parent company, ByteDance, which tracks user data (like location) inside of the app. This has led to the ban of TikTok on government-issued devices within many different US states.
Fact: TikTok's parent company ByteDance Ltd. was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, but today, roughly sixty percent of the company is beneficially owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group.
But the wildly popular platform, developed with homegrown Chinese technology, isn't accessible in China. In fact, it's never existed there. Instead, there's a different version of TikTok — a sister app called Douyin.
Zhang Yiming is the main founder of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, best known for its insanely popular app TikTok, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide. Zhang stepped down as chairman of ByteDance in November 2021 after resigning as CEO in May that year, reportedly under pressure from the Chinese government.
The social media platform allows its users to both create and watch short video content, that is primarily 15 seconds in length. People crave micro-entertainment and short bursts of video distraction, this is one of the main reasons for the app's popularity. Content is short, fun and on-trend.
It's as safe as just about any other social media platform. It doesn't infect your phone with malware, but it comes with some safety risks like scams and saved user data.
But the wildly popular platform, developed with homegrown Chinese technology, isn't accessible in China. In fact, it's never existed there. Instead, there's a different version of TikTok — a sister app called Douyin.
The Indian government banned TikTok in June 2020, along with several other Chinese apps, over national security concerns. Before the ban, the app had about 150 million monthly active users in India.
Data-driven algorithm and intrusive tracking
Scroll through its feed long enough and you'll be bombarded with content carefully chosen for you. That's because TikTok uses a sophisticated algorithm to gather a vast amount of users' data, both inside and outside the app, to build an accurate profile.
According to the latest data on TikTok's advertising reach, the United States is home to the majority of TikTok users worldwide, with 116.5 million TikTokers residing there.
The Italian antitrust authority on Tuesday accused TikTok of breaching its own guidelines by failing to remove content related to suicide, self-harm and poor nutrition. A recent face-marking challenge, dubbed "French scar," has taken the app by storm. The challenge involves pinching one's face until it bruises.
A member of K-pop supergroup BTS has spoken about South Korean artists' struggle to perform in mainland China. During an online livestream with fans, Suga made the rare acknowledgement that he “can't perform in China“ as no Korean group can work in the country.
Social media app TikTok has been banned on government electronic devices, the Cabinet Office has announced today. The ban comes after Cabinet Office Ministers ordered a security review.
Among non-users, 65% say the app is a security threat, including 36% who view it as a major threat. Among TikTok users, just 9% see it as a major threat and about one-third say it's a minor threat. The Pew survey was conducted May 15-21, 2023.
WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Thursday battered TikTok's CEO about potential Chinese influence over the platform and said its short videos were damaging children's mental health, reflecting bipartisan concerns about the app's power over Americans.