TikTok owner Bytedance also issued a statement, confirming that the Government of India hasn’t restored access to the short video platform.
Despite the website’s temporary accessibility, the TikTok mobile app remains unavailable on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India. (Photo source: Reuters)
TikTok is not coming to India. Contrary to the viral claims made by several content creators and media platforms, the Bytedance-owned short video platform is not coming to the country anytime soon. TikTok was originally banned in 2020 soon after the geopolitical tensions arose between India and China.
In an official confirmation to media, both the Indian government and ByteDance have clarified that TikTok continues to remain banned in the country five years after the initial ban. The rumours of an ‘unbanned’ TikTok emerged after many users were reportedly able to access the TikTok homepage without a VPN, thus sparking theories of the return of the original short video platform. This coincided with India and China engaging in diplomatic talks to strengthen regional ties.
No, TikTok is not coming to India
Soon after social media went viral with claims of TikTok returning to India, the sources from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology described the reports as “false and misleading.” A senior official, who spoke on anonymity, stated, “We have not unblocked or done anything” to change TikTok’s status.
The ban, which was imposed in June 2020 under Section 69A of the IT Act, was a measure against 59 Chinese-linked apps deemed “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order.” In plain English, that meant that several Chinese apps were found to compromise data privacy and security.
TikTok owner Bytedance also issued a statement, confirming that the Government of India hasn’t restored access to the short video platform.
Adding to the government’s stance, a TikTok spokesperson issued a statement to multiple publications, confirming that the company has not made any move to restore its services. “We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive,” the spokesperson said.
Was TikTok ‘accidentally’ available for a brief time?
TikTok was indeed available for a brief period due to a technical glitch. The incident is believed to be a network-level misconfiguration, reminiscent of a similar event in September 2022, when some internet service providers accidentally unblocked certain banned sites while applying a system patch.
Despite the website’s temporary accessibility, the TikTok mobile app remains unavailable on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India. Those who could access the homepage also found that other parts of the site were dysfunctional, with error messages such as “Our services aren’t available in your country or region” appearing.