Just a day after government banned the short video-sharing application TikTok and other 58 Chinese apps on the backdrop that such apps were violating data privacy rules in the country as well as amid border tensions between India and China along the LAC.
The Indian government on late Monday evening banned 59 applications, including TikTok, UC Browser, scanning app CamScanner, citing it has found these apps to be engaging in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India,” according to the government’s order.
Now, the TikTok app has completely stopped working on all devices, including the website. If you search fo TikTok on your desktop or phone, its site displays the message of the ban:
“Dear Users,
On June 29, 2020 the Govt. of India decided to block 59 apps, including TikTok. We are in the process of complying with the Government of India’s directive and also working with the government to better understand the issue and explore a course of action.
Ensuring the privacy and security of all our users in India remains our utmost priority.
TikTok India Team,” the message reads.
The Bytedance-owned app’s website is also no longer available to users in India. The website redirects to the earlier page which shows the same message. Earlier, the company other app Helo has also been taken down from App Store and Google Play store in India.
This isn’t the first time TikTok has been banned in India — the Madras High Court banned it last year over hate speech concerns, but quickly vacated its order.
India is one of TikTok’s largest markets. As of April, 30% of TikTok’s 2 billion downloads were from India, according to app data analytics firm Sensor Tower.
