New Delhi, January 15: TikTok could soon face a nationwide ban in the US, as it is considered a security risk by the government. In April 2024, President Joe Biden passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell its stake in the app or face a ban. ByteDance has taken the matter to the US Supreme Court, seeking to delay the ban of TikTok in US.

The court has yet to decide, which leaves the app’s future in the US unclear. As per reports, TikTok is expected to be banned in the United States on January 19, 2025, unless the Supreme Court accepts a final legal bid from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, arguing that such a ban would be unconstitutional. MrBeast or Elon Musk, Who Is Buying TikTok? Netizens Debate After YouTuber Says ‘Many Billionaires’ Reached Out to Him Since He Expressed Intention To Buy Short-Video Platform To Prevent Ban.

There have been rumours that Elon Musk might acquire TikTok’s US operations. Multiple reports suggest that Chinese officials are considering this as an option if TikTok cannot prevent the looming ban. However, TikTok has denied any such plans to sell its US operations to Elon Musk.

Meanwhile, YouTuber MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, has expressed interest in buying TikTok to save it from being banned in the US. Additionally to the potential ban in the United States, TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has already been banned in several other countries due to privacy and cybersecurity concerns. REDnote aka Xiaohongshu Banning LGBTQ+ Accounts and Content After Gaining Number 1 Spot in App Store in US As TikTok Ban Looms: Reports.

TikTok Ban: List of Countries Where ByteDance's Social Media Platform is Restricted

  • Albania: Albania's decision to ban TikTok for a year in 2024 which came after an alleged killing of a teenager, which raised concerns about the influence of social media on children and youth.
  • European Union: The European Union (EU) had expressed concerns about the safety of its citizens, which led to the restrictions on TikTok in February 2023.
  • Canada: In February 2023, the Canadian government decided to ban TikTok on all government-issued devices following a review conducted by the Chief Information Officer of Canada.
  • Australia: In April 2023, Australia implemented a ban on TikTok for all government devices, including the mobile phones of politicians, due to security concerns.
  • India: The Indian government took action against TikTok and other Chinese apps and banned TikTok in September 2020.

Apart from these countries, TikTok is also banned in Pakistan, Nepal, France, New Zealand, Denmark, Malta, Taiwan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Austria, and Ireland for similar reasons.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 15, 2025 06:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).