TikTok ban not lifted in India, despite rumours of access

Fans of the Chinese short video app TikTok speculate that the app may be making a comeback to India after a five-year absence after noticing that the website of the platform is available to some users across the country. However, sources from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have notified that the ban has not been lifted.

TikTok ban has not been lifted yet, though website remains open for viewing to some users in India

As of now, the app remains unavailable on app stores like Google Play Store and App Store, nor has there been an official statement from the company. But the presence of the website itself has created rumours of its return, which some netizens have been able to access.

When clicked on “Newsroom” a message flashes saying, “You don't have access to this page. Our services aren't available in your country or region." When you click on "Careers," it says "503 Service Temporarily Unavailable" message. When you click "Contacts," it takes you to a page that says "Partners," "Media Enquiries," "Legal Enquiries" and "Privacy."

But government sources said: “Government of India has not issued any unblocking order for TikTok. Any such statement/news is false and misleading."

This comes after its June 2020 ban, when the Indian government banned TikTok, costing the company around 15 million new users. Along with TikTok, 58 other Chinese apps, like CamScanner and Club Factory, due to national security concerns.

TikTok's international version is not available in mainland China and Hong Kong either, potentially to keep users from accessing politically sensitive content. Instead, they have access to the domestic version Douyin.

Meanwhile, TikTok is also facing the possibility of a ban in the US. However, it was US President Donald Trump who gave the company more time to find an approved buyer after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the app to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance or banned in January this year.

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