Many banned Chinese apps make comeback in India: Will TikTok return?

Many of the Chinese apps that were banned in 2020 following the India-China border tensions have made a return to the Play Store in India as diplomatic relations between the two countries improve. Apps like Xender, TanTan, and Shein are now available for download once again, but TikTok—by far the most popular of these apps in India—remains conspicuously absent. With the evolving political landscape, the return of some of the banned Chinese apps – the question on everyone’s mind is: Will TikTok make a comeback to India?

For the unversed, on June 29, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government abruptly banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese-owned apps, citing data security concerns. The Indian government accused TikTok — owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance — of misusing data and acting as a tool for espionage. The decision came just two weeks after a deadly melee between Chinese and Indian troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Ministry of Information Technology issued a statement saying, “…in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps ( see Appendix) since in view of information available, they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”

India’s TikTok ban came amid severing ties with China following the Galwan valley clash. On June 15 of that year, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, leading to the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers. The conflict along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was the deadliest in 45 years and resulted in a military standoff.

CHINESE APPS RETURN

While some of these apps have returned with tweaks, others made comeback in cloned versions. After four years, India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team reviewed more than 200 of the banned mobile applications and found that original or clone versions of at least 36 of them were available either on Google’s Play Store or Apple’s App Store or on both platforms as of February 10.

File-sharing app Xender, streaming platforms MangoTV and Youku, shopping app Taobao, and dating service Tantan are the mobile applications that appear to have returned. Barring MangoTV, the remaining of the four apps have made minor changes in their names or ownership structure as listed on the official Android and Apple stores.

MangoTV appeared in the government’s ban order announced on November 20, 2020. It was developed by Hunan Happy Sunshine Interactive Entertainment Media Co. Ltd is based in China’s Hunan province and was launched for Android devices in February 2018.

Similarly, Xender was banned in June 2020 but is still available for users to download from Apple’s App Store in India, though now its official name is “Xender:File Share, Share Music”.

WILL TIKTOK RETURN?

TikTok, the wildly popular video-sharing app, was banned in India in June 2020 along with 58 other Chinese apps, citing national security and data privacy concerns. With over 200 million users at the time of its ban, TikTok’s exit from the Indian market was a significant blow to the app’s global presence. However, since then, there has been ongoing speculation and interest regarding whether TikTok will return to India.

TikTok has faced ban not only in India but in other countries as well with the United States being the latest one to mull an action on the Bytedance-owned app. Countries have cited security risks and data privacy violation to consider banning the video-sharing application.

In December 2019, the United States Army and Navy banned TikTok on government devices after the Department of Defense labeled it a security risk. Initially the US had asked Bytedance to sell the app in US or face the ban.

“Today, the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] laws require Chinese companies like ByteDance to spy on their behalf,” Committee Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said during a hearing on TikTok’s national security risks.

Though the US banned the app, and it stopped working briefly for users in America, Donald Trump temporarily halted the ban later for 75 days. The extension gave the app’s owner, ByteDance, more time to sell a stake in the company or reach a deal with Trump. As of now, TikTok’s future in America remains uncertain.

As for India, the possibility of TikTok’s return is not entirely out of the question but it faces several significant hurdles. The Indian government has made it clear that it prioritises data privacy, national security, and the protection of its digital ecosystem. TikTok’s return to India would depend largely on its ability to comply with these requirements and address the ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Even if TikTok manages to overcome these challenges, it would face intense competition from both local and global platforms that have already gained strong footholds in the Indian market. As time passes and the digital landscape evolves, TikTok’s future in India will be shaped by a combination of regulatory decisions, market dynamics, and its ability to adapt to local demands.