Fact check: TikTok is getting banned in the UK.

Verdict: mostly true — Trust Score 79/100

The TikTok video accurately reports that the UK government banned TikTok from government devices with immediate effect on March 16, 2023, citing cyber hygiene and security concerns. This event is confirmed by 5 verified sources, including The Guardian and GOV.UK. It is important to note that this is a separate event from the UK government's announcement in June 2026 to ban social media apps, including TikTok, for children under 16.

Platform
tiktok
Source author
verifiedbythisuri — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSCSMYT1a/
Verified on
June 28, 2026
Verification ID
nYz9RM8zUPCtafeHi_j88Q

Original content reviewed

Platform: TIKTOK Author: @verifiedbythisuri --- Caption/Description --- I can’t believe this 😳😳😳… --- Audio Transcript (What was said) --- Is this real? We are also going to ban the use of TikTok on government devices. We will do so with immediate effect. Miss devices which may contain sensitive information. It is both. --- On-Screen Text (OCR) --- I can't believe TikTok is getting banned in the UK!! 😱😱😱 23:09 Search going to ban TikTok banned from UK government phones 289.4K 9,786 22.3K 53.2K Independent - 2023-3-16 UK government bans TikTok from their mobile phones for good 'cyber h... more Add comment... --- I can't believe TikTok is getting banned in the UK!! 😱😱😱 devices. Send to --- I can't believe TikTok is getting banned in the UK!! 😱😱😱 23:06 with immediate 289.4K 9,786 22.3K Repost to followers Independent 2023-3-16 UK government bans TikTok from their mobile phones for good 'cyber h... more Add comment... --- 23:06 I can't believe TikTok is getting banned in the UK!! 😱😱😱 Charlie Megan Ellis Mark - Manny +44 7938 002488 Search Snapchat Notes Copy Add to New Quick Note Save to Pinterest View Less G Search on Google Roamy Save to Roamy Add to Reading List Edit Actions --- 23:06 Verifi Facts Close I can't believe TikTok is getting banned in the UK!! 😱😱😱 Independent UK government bans TikTok from their mobile phones for good 'cyber hygeine' 📵 #fyp #fyp シ #... The verdict is... VERIFIED --- 23:06 Verifi Facts Close I can't believe TikTok is getting banned in the TRUTH S UK!! 😱😱😱 06.01.26 The UK did ban TikTok on government devices in 2023 for cyber hygiene and security reasons. 0% EXCELLENT LIABILITY 88% ---VERIFICATION_SUMMARY--- Platform: TIKTOK Author: @verifiedbythisuri --- HOW TO VERIFY THIS (provenance-first) --- 1. SOURCE-TRACE: take the MOST DISTINCTIVE, verbatim details above — exact unusual quotes, named people/places/objects — and web-search them TOGETHER as a combination, alongside the subject/person shown and the topic, to

Claims analyzed (4)

  1. mostly true: TikTok is getting banned in the UK.
    While the post implies a general ban, the UK government specifically banned TikTok from government devices in March 2023. A broader ban for under-16s on various social media apps, including TikTok, was announced in June 2026, but this is not a complete ban on TikTok for all users in the UK.
  2. verified: The UK government is banning TikTok from government devices.
    The UK government officially banned TikTok from government devices on March 16, 2023.
  3. verified: The ban on TikTok from UK government devices will have immediate effect.
    Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office minister, announced on March 16, 2023, that the ban on TikTok from government devices would be "with immediate effect."
  4. verified: The UK government banned TikTok on government devices in 2023 for cyber hygiene and security reasons.
    The ban was implemented on March 16, 2023, following a security review that identified potential vulnerabilities of government data from social media apps. The government cited concerns about how sensitive information could be accessed and used, describing the ban as a "precautionary move" and "good cyber hygiene."

Sources consulted (7)

Related verifications

AI-generated analysis. Not a substitute for professional fact-checking.