Yesterday, the Indian government announced a ban on 59 Chinse apps in the country citing privacy concerns. Abiding the law, TikTok, which is the first app in the list has voluntarily disabled its services in the country today.
Earlier today, TikTok’s listing on Google Play Store and Apple App store were unpublished by the company with a statement from its official Twitter handle @TikTok_IN. It read “We have been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications”.
The statement given by Nikhil Gandhi, Head of TikTok India clearly indicates the possibility for the revert of the ban. It seems the government has asked all the app makers in the list to clarify from their end.
For the unaware, the Indian government banned these specific 59 Chinese apps as they are considered “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India”.
Though TikTok was not available for download from the app stores, Indians were able to use it on their devices if they had it installed already or sideloaded it. However, that changed by evening as the app on both platforms began to prompt users regarding the ban.
The notice reads “Dear users, we are in the process of complying with the Government of India’s directive to block 59 apps. Ensuring the privacy and security of all users in India remains our utmost priority”.
Currently, the app does not load any new content for Indian users. Instead, it shows network error as well as the above notice. Even the Indian website reflects the same.
In a nutshell, TikTok cannot be accessed in India right now unless you use a VPN. Interestingly, the other 58 apps are still available to download on app stores and work as intended.
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(Via)
