India retains ban on TikTok, UC Browser and 57 other Chinese apps
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jan 28, 2021
"Hence, the ban for these 59 apps is permanent now", business newspaper Livemint quoted a source familiar with the notices as saying.
The companies that include well-known brands like TikTok, WeChat, Tencent Holdings, and Alibaba's UC were requested to explain their sides by answering 77 questions that India has prepared.
A source at ByteDance told TechCrunch that the company operates several properties in India including a productivity suite called Lark that remain operational in the country and the team continues to develop these apps.
Added to the seeming void in the response of the Indian government is the fact that some of the blacklisted apps are stock apps that come with devices.
"It is deeply regretful that after supporting our 2,000-plus employees in India for more than half a year, we have no choice but to scale back the size of our workforce", it said, but gave no further specifics.
Chinese firm ByteDance is downsizing its Indian team and is unsure of when it will return, the company told employees in an internal memo on Wednesday, months after its popular video app was banned TikTok. For a number of you reading this, we realise it will be even more painful to receive.
TikTok said it was among the first to comply with the Centre's directive, issued on June 29, 2020, and continually strives to comply with local laws and regulations.
Later, a statement said disappointment in the organization that the Indian government has not issued a clear direction on how and when the apps could be reinstated.
TikTok is a popular video-sharing app that took over the world when it was first introduced.
Before the ban, India had been one of TikTok's largest markets and ByteDance in 2019 had laid out plans to invest US$1 billion (S$1.33 billion) in India. TikTok employs over 2000 people in India. None of the companies or founders wish so (for lay-offs).
The official ban, therefore, reflects the inability of both the government and the app developers to arrive at a common meeting ground, as the government was not satisfied by the app companies' responses with regards to how these apps collect data and disseminate such even outside the sub-continent. "However, we shall also have to support the local set-up, to come up with alternatives", said Faisal Kawoosa, founder and Chief Analyst at techARC.
