The U.S. Is Not the First Country to Ban TikTok, but It Is the Biggest
The countries that have banned it are much smaller than the U.S.
Published Jan. 17 2025, 10:54 a.m. ET
As the TikTok ban comes closer and closer (it's set to go into effect on Jan. 19), there's still plenty of uncertainty about how strictly it will be enforced, and about what the ban's implementation will actually mean. Even as we prepare for the ban, though, there are also some who want to know more about which other countries have banned the app.
While the list is not long, the U.S. is not the first country to have concerns about TikTok and its influence. Here's what we know about which other countries have banned it.
What countries have banned TikTok?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the countries that have banned TikTok tend to be those that exert control over what their citizens can and cannot watch. The list includes:
Afghanistan
The Taliban banned the app in 2022, saying that it was misleading the country's young people.
Albania
The country implemented a year-long ban in December of 2024 after a boy was stabbed after clashing with another boy online.
India
India banned a number of Chinese apps including TikTok after a border clash with China. At the time, they expressed concerns about data privacy but also said the apps were a danger to India's sovereignty.
Jordan
Jordan temporarily banned the app in December of 2022 after a police officer was killed in a clash with protesters over high fuel prices. Authorities claimed the app had failed to censor posts advocating violence, and the ban is still in place today.
Kyrgyzstan
The country banned the app in 2023, claiming it was dangerous to the mental wellbeing of children.
Nepal
Also banned the app in 2023, saying that it was harmful to "social harmony and good will."
Senegal
The country banned the app in 2023 after an opposition candidate used the platform to, in the government's words, spread "hateful and subversive messages" that threatened the government's stability.
Somalia
In 2023, Somalia banned TikTok, Telegram, and a betting app to limit the spread of propaganda. Officials claimed that "terrorists and immoral groups" were using the apps to "spread constant horrific images and misinformation."
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan banned the app in 2021 after claiming that TikTok did not comply with the country's data privacy laws.
It's unclear what the TikTok ban is going to look like in practice.
All of these countries may have banned TikTok for one reason or another, but it's hard to say what a TikTok ban will look like in the U.S. The Supreme Court has ruled that the ban is allowed to go into effect, but both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration seem reluctant to actually enforce it, understanding how popular it is with American users.
As a result, even if the ban is the law of the land, it's unclear whether it will be enforced, meaning that TikTok could continue to operate in the U.S. into the foreseeable future. It's the strangest of all possible outcomes, to be sure, but one that now seems distinctly possible.