New Delhi, August 23 – The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has dismissed claims suggesting that the TikTok ban in India has been lifted, clarifying that the Chinese video-sharing platform remains prohibited in the country.
The clarification comes after several users reported being able to access TikTok’s website homepage, sparking speculation about a possible unblocking. While the website’s homepage was visible to some, the TikTok mobile app remains unavailable on both Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store in India.
“Government of India has not issued any unblocking order for TikTok. Any such statement or news is false and misleading,” a ministry source stated.
India banned TikTok along with 58 other Chinese mobile applications in June 2020, citing national security concerns. The apps, including WeChat and UC Browser, were labeled as a threat to the sovereignty, integrity, defense, and public order of India.
The ban came in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh, which severely strained diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Beijing. At the time, then Union Home Minister Amit Shah endorsed the move, following recommendations from senior officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs before the IT Ministry formalized the ban.
Officials had also raised concerns about the apps’ alleged data privacy violations, with reports that they were transferring sensitive user information, including location data and files, to servers in China. Some apps were flagged for containing pornographic content and engaging in “malpractices,” further justifying their removal.
TikTok was among the most popular short-video platforms in India, with nearly 200 million users as of early 2020, making it one of the company’s largest markets outside China.
The concerns around Chinese apps align with global apprehensions over Beijing-linked technology, including alleged backdoors in hardware and 5G equipment, which have led multiple countries to restrict or ban Chinese tech in critical infrastructure.
For now, the Indian government has made it clear: despite homepage visibility, TikTok remains banned and there are no plans for its return.