TikTok office in Culver City, Los Angeles, USA. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Speaking to Parliament last Thursday, British Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said the ban will apply to "government corporate devices" used by ministers and ministries, but not apply to personal devices or the wider public.

The European Parliament, European Commission, and the EU Council, the three top EU bodies, have all imposed bans on TikTok on staff devices, citing cybersecurity concerns.

Also this month, the US said government agencies had 30 days to delete TikTok from federal devices and systems over data security concerns. The ban applies only to government devices, though some US lawmakers are advocating an outright ban. 

Canada also announced that government-issued devices must not use TikTok. In 2020, India imposed a ban on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the messaging app WeChat, over privacy and security concerns. 

The video-sharing platform is owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, which has changed its headquarters to Singapore since 2020.

China has repeatedly denied being able to access data from TikTok. China's Foreign Ministry said on February 28 that the US ban on the TikTok application showed Washington's insecurity, and accused the US of abusing its power to coerce foreign companies.

A TikTok representative said "TikTok is enjoyed by 125 million EU citizens and potentially depriving users from access to their representatives is a self-defeating step, especially in our shared fight against misinformation and when this action is being taken on the basis of fears rather than facts."

Analysts said that the ban on TikTok is likely to continue as TikTok's commitment to information security has not reassured governments in many countries.