More than 3 billion people are currently banned from using TikTok
The IndependentSign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy TikTok is facing the prospect of being banned or unavailable for nearly half the world’s population after the US moved to outlaw the app. Lawmakers in the US fear TikTok’s parent company ByteDance could share user data with the Chinese government, while others claim the app’s algorithm could be used to spread propaganda and misinformation. Data from analytics firm Appfigures reveals that TikTok was the second most popular app in the US last year in terms of downloads, topped only by the shopping app Temu. A survey from Pew Research Centre also revealed that younger people trust the app more than older users, with more than 30 per cent of US TikTok users between the ages of 18 and 29 using it as a regular news source, compared to just 3 per cent of over-65s.