Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury of the United Kingdom (UK), on Sunday, refuted claims that the country is banning TikTok for its citizens. Jones, in a statement to the BBC, said there are “no plans” for the UK to follow in America's footsteps and ban TikTok. “For consumers who want to post videos of their cats or dancing, that doesn’t seem like a national security threat to me,” the cabinet minister added.
Jones’ statement comes after the app was banned in the United States, and some analysts suggested that it is just a matter of time before the ban spreads to US-allied countries.
However, it is important to note that TikTok has already been banned for government devices in both the US and UK since 2023.
Why is TikTok Facing Trust Deficit
Many countries are concerned that TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would be forced to disclose user data to the Chinese government, creating possible spying risks.
Governments are concerned about how TikTok collects, maintains, and uses personal data. The app's extensive data collection techniques have sparked concerns about user privacy and the risk of information misuse.
For example, In 2022, BuzzFeed published leaked audio from internal meetings that revealed how Chinese employees of ByteDance had "repeatedly" accessed non-public data from American users, including journalists.
There are concerns that TikTok will be used to manipulate public debate by favoring or suppressing specific content, perhaps impacting political opinions or societal stability. This worry has played a role in discussions about banning the app in several nations.
Some countries have condemned TikTok for how it handles content, such as the propagation of misinformation, unsuitable material, or content that may disrupt social harmony.
For example, Nepal temporarily banned TikTok in 2023, citing disruptions to social harmony caused by app misuse. The government cited over 1,600 cybercrime cases linked to TikTok.
US bans TikTok: Is This the Breaking Point?
The Supreme Court on Friday (January 17, 2025) upheld a law banning TikTok in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by 19 January. ByteDance has categorically refused to seek a buyer.
TikTok has around 170 million US users which generated a revenue of around $7bn for the company in 2024 and was estimated to generate around $9bn in 2025, as per Oberlo data.
On Saturday night, a notification appeared on the app interface for US users that said, "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now." The message further read that a law banning TikTok had been enacted, which means you can't use TikTok for now.
US officials have frequently warned that TikTok poses a threat to national security because the Chinese government might use it to spy on Americans or weaponize it to secretly influence the American people by magnifying or suppressing specific material.
TikTok’s Response
In response to allegations of spying and manipulating public sentiment, TikTok has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The company asserts that it operates independently and is not influenced by any government, including the Chinese government.
However, TikTok had previously admitted that some senior employees of the company used the app data to spy on reporters as part of an attempt to track down the journalist (the BuzzFeed report), leading to the termination of the involved employees.
Will Trump Rescue TikTok?
US President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20, has expressed his support for the app's ongoing existence in the country. "The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it is appropriate," Donald Trump stated to NBC. "If I decide to do that, I will probably announce it on Monday", he added.
Following Trump’s support, the notification appearing on TikTok’s interface towards the end reads, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
Perplexity Offers Merger
Amidst all these developments, Perplexity AI has reportedly submitted a bid on Saturday to TikTok parent ByteDance, proposing that Perplexity merge with TikTok US.
As per reports, the new structure would allow the majority of ByteDance's existing investors to retain their stock shares while also bringing additional video content to Perplexity.
TikTok Ban in India
India was one of the first countries to implement an absolute ban on TikTok. Five years ago, in June 2020, the Indian government banned 59 apps, the majority of which were popular Chinese apps, including TikTok.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) said in a statement that these apps were engaged in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state, and public order.
The ban was also followed by an India-China border scuffle.
Other Countries that banned TikTok
Albania, Jordan and Nepal banned TikTok after reporting different incidents of violence allegedly incited through the app. For example, a police officer in Jordan was killed as a protest turned violent. Following the incident, the government banned the app as it failed to curb posts inciting violence and disorder.
Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Somalia banned the app citing negative effects on children, including misleading content and harmful effects on children’s mental health.
Countries like Britain, the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Malta, Netherlands, Latvia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Taiwan and the European Union institutions have put a partial ban on TikTok, that prohibits the government employees from using the app.
