Govt To Ban Some Chinese Apps, Including TikTok, Permanently: Report

The Government of India has sent notices to makers of Chinese apps including TikTok and others, making the interim ban on these apps now permanent, a Business Standard report said.

"We are evaluating the notice and will respond to it as appropriate. TikTok was among the first companies to comply with the Government of India directive issued on June 29, 2020. We continually strive to comply with local laws and regulations and do our best to address any concerns the government may have. Ensuring the privacy and security of all our users remains to be our topmost priority," a TikTok spokesperson was quoted saying in the report.

The Indian government has released its first list of banned apps on 29 June 2020, wherein 59 apps were banned, including TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, Shein, Likee, and CamScanner.

The ban was seen as India response to its clashes in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. According to the official statement released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) on the ban, the apps were "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order." They were all banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

The second list of banned apps was released on 5 September with 188 apps and the third list with 43 apps came out on 24 November. These bans were also made under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act.