TikTok has disappeared from Google Play Store, Apple’s App Store, and Amazon Play Store after the Indian government has decided to ban 59 Chinese apps. These users are not able to download the app from the website, either. The very same thing happened to the app Helo. The other apps were available to download from their websites.
The head of TikTok India, Nikhil Gandhi, stated: We have been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information about our users with any foreign government, including the Chinese government. Further, if we are requested to, in the future, we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity”.
Among the banned apps, there’s also CamScanner, WeChat, Club Factory, and UC Browser, with the reason that they are involved in activities that are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defense of India, the security of state and the public order.
The government has received a lot of complaints from various sources with regards to stealing and sending data to servers that have locations outside of India. The government is very serious about these issues, and they were not going to let them happen, even if we’re talking about the great TikTok.
Back in April, the head of TikTok in India, Nikhil Gandhi, said that the company has 1,000 employees across eight locations, and that, after the decision taken by the government, their future is uncertain. The parent company of the app, Bytedance, had in its plan to hire another 10,000 people across different locations this year, even in India. They also wanted to invest $1 billion in the business.
