No comeback for TikTok: Indian govt refutes reports of ban being lifted on Chinese apps

 

The government on Friday dismissed reports that the ban on Chinese short video app TikTok, e-commerce platform AliExpress, and fashion retailer Shein had been lifted.

The clarification came after claims on social media suggested that users were able to access the websites of these platforms, though functionality remained restricted. While some could open TikTok’s homepage, no further access was possible, and shopping was blocked on AliExpress and Shein.

Reports of apps returning

Earlier reports claimed that the apps, once hugely popular in India, had made a comeback nearly five years after being banned in June 2020 following heightened tensions in bilateral ties with China.

In February this year, several Chinese apps that were barred in 2020 reappeared on app stores in India. Platforms such as Xender and TanTan resurfaced, though TikTok remained notably absent. Some returned with modifications, while others appeared in cloned versions.

An India Today Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) review in February found that original or clone versions of at least 36 of the banned apps were available for download on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Why was TikTok banned?

India banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese-owned apps on June 29, 2020, citing national security concerns. The government accused TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, of misusing data and acting as a tool for espionage.

The ban was announced just two weeks after a deadly clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, where at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops. It was the deadliest confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 45 years and triggered a wider military standoff between the two countries.

While some apps have resurfaced under new versions, TikTok continues to remain unavailable in India despite its massive user base before the ban.