Is TikTok going to be functional again in India? Government says, ‘It will…’

New Delhi: Union IT, Information and Broadcasting and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that there is no plan under consideration to revoke the ban on the Chinese short-video platform TikTok.

Is TikTok coming back to India?

Ashwini Vaishnaw said this in an interview with Moneycontrol, as he said that the matter has not even been discussed within the government. “There is absolutely no proposal which has come from any quarters,” he said, responding to speculation that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, could be preparing for a re-entry.

When TikTok’s website became accessible

Last month, a few assumptions were made that TikTok is going to be functional in India after TikTok’s website became briefly accessible on some broadband and mobile networks, including Airtel and Vodafone. It turned out to be a glitch that gave enough fodder for the rumour mills to churn and social media clamour with messages that the Chinese app is making a comeback. But the government has now clarified otherwise.

India had TikTok’s largest user base before it was banned in 2020

The popular app was first banned in India in June 2020, when the Centre blocked 59 Chinese apps citing national security and data privacy concerns. It was removed from Apple and Google stores soon after, and the restriction was made permanent in January 2021. India was then TikTok’s largest user base, with more than 200 million people using the platform.

Other products of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, were also banned, as apps like Helo and CapCut were blocked as well. Later, ByteDance also had to shut down its music streaming service Resso in India after it was removed from both Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Upon being asked if Chinese investors could again be allowed to invest in the Indian tech industry, Vaishnaw said the government will follow a transparent approach. “We will see as it happens. Policies will be clearly shared with everybody. We are a very transparent country,” he said.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has shared crucial updates on the short video app TikTok.
  • He said that there is no plan under consideration to revoke the ban on TikTok.
  • Vaishnaw said that the matter has not even been discussed within the government.
  • Last month, a few assumptions were made that TikTok is going to be functional in India.

Last month, TikTok’s website became briefly accessible on some broadband and mobile networks, including Airtel and Vodafone. It turned out to be a glitch that gave enough fodder for the rumour mills to churn and social media clamour with messages that the Chinese app is making a comeback.

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