Ban on TikTok continues in India, Government said- no order has been issued to unblock the app

News Topical, Digital Desk : The government has not issued any order to unblock the Chinese internet media platform TikTok. Reports of it being unblocked started coming in after some people accessed the TikTok website on their desktop browsers.

No order issued to unblock TikTok

However, official sources said late Friday night that the Indian government has not issued any order to unblock TikTok. Any such statement or news is false and misleading.

TikTok was among the internet media platforms blocked by the government following the clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020.

59 apps including TikTok, UC Browser and Shein blocked

Initially, 59 apps including TikTok, UC Browser and Shein were blocked. Later, the government blocked more apps including PUBG. As per the government order, the ban continues on all platforms.

It is banned since 2020

When the Indian government banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps in June 2020, the announcement was made without any warning. This led to India's 200 million active TikTok users suddenly being disconnected from the platform. The government had decided to block TikTok citing 'data privacy' and 'national security risk'. Since then, the app has been blocked in one of India's biggest markets.

Focus on India-China relations

The recent improvement in India-China relations is fuelling speculation of a comeback. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi earlier this week included meetings with Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Both sides emphasised the importance of 'frank and constructive' dialogue. The Prime Minister's visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit later this month could be a sign of improved relations.

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