TikTok, WeChat, and 57 other Chinese apps stand permanently banned from India after notices were issued to them last year. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued fresh notices to make permanent the ban imposed on these apps in June, days after an unprecedented escalation in a border row with China. According to NDTV, the government had given the 59 apps, including ByteDance’s video-sharing app TikTok,

 

Tencent’s WeChat, and Alibaba’s UC Browser, a chance to explain their position on compliance with privacy and security requirements, but was not satisfied.

 

According to a statement shared by Tiktok, the company is evaluating the notice. “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 said in the statement.

 

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Between June to December 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY), Government of India had issued multiple orders under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act banning 220 Chinese apps in total including popular apps and games such as TikTok, WeChat, PUBG Mobile, Shareit, UC Browser, AliSuppliers, Alibaba Workbench, AliExpress, Lalamove India, CamCard to name a few.

 

The ban of Chinese apps over the last few months has led to a sudden surge in home-grown apps across categories including productivity, games, and entertainment, thus boosting the Indian app ecosystem. The government had also introduced AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge in July last year, which received close to 7,000 entries individual app developers and companies from all over the country, including remote and small towns as well.

 

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