Petition Calls for TikTok Ban in Ukraine Over National Security Concerns

A petition on the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers’ website is calling for TikTok to be banned in Ukraine and restricted on devices used by government officials and military personnel.

Launched on June 10 by Oksana Andrusyak, the petition has already collected more than 11,000 signatures, with a goal of 25,000 needed by September for government review.

Kyiv Post could not determine the author’s position or sphere of interest. On her personal profile on X (formerly known as Twitter), she identifies herself as a “social media influencer.”

On the X platform, a woman presented several arguments explaining why TikTok should be blocked.

She suggests that TikTok, operated by the Chinese company ByteDance, could pose a national security threat due to China’s collaboration with Russia.

The petition argues that China’s alliance with Russia in the ongoing war against Ukraine, combined with Chinese laws that allow extensive data collection, could enable espionage via TikTok.

It also claims China might use the platform to spread propaganda and disinformation.

Citing comments from John Plumb, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, the petition highlights China’s longstanding use of cyber capabilities to steal sensitive information from US entities, including the defense sector.

This follows the US demand to block or sell TikTok to an American company due to security concerns. ByteDance has refused and plans to challenge US law in court.

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Ukraine had previously contemplated a ban on TikTok. In April 2024, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, head of the government committee on freedom of speech, expressed support for such measures if they were in line with international partners such as the US.

He raised concerns about data collection and usage by such platforms.

While it’s unclear if Ukraine will implement a full ban, a bill is being drafted to regulate social media and messaging services, including TikTok.

Globally, TikTok faces restrictions due to its ties with China. Countries like Australia, Belgium, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, France, and the US have banned the app for government officials.

The European Parliament, European Commission, and European Council also impose similar bans.

After the outbreak of the war, TikTok itself limited the operation of the application in Russia. In early May 2024, the service started working again in Russia without restrictions.

Although the platform has deleted more than a thousand videos at Russia’s request since 2023, the Russian communications agency is still considering blocking TikTok in Russia due for non-compliance with privacy laws.