It’s trouble galore for Chinese apps including the behemoth TikTok with the Indian government sending a permanent ban notice.
For the uninitiated, the Indian government had earlier announced an interim ban on multiple Chinese apps including TikTok over security concerns. The step was also announced amid rising border tensions between India and China, which is not showing any immediate sign of rapprochement.
Chinese apps like TikTok, PUBG, Likee had made immense inroads into the Indian market. The ban came as a rude shock to many.
When the interim ban was on, there was a silver lining of the operations resuming post deliberation and implementation of necessary changes.
However, with the permanent ban notice, hope is now bleak.
Though banned, TikTok India employees continued to stay on its payroll and worked in diverse roles, as per sources.
“The workforce continued to march on with a hope of a comeback. Now, it’s a scenario of abyss,” says an industry senior.
It is imperative to address few pertinent and pivotal questions here. What happens to India operations? Is it shutting down? If yes, what is the fate of its 1500 plus Indian employees? Is it going to be a mass employment loss?
We sent a detailed mail to TikTok India representative to seek answers.
Instead of detailing out specifics, we received a statement saying:
“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. ” – TikTok Spokesperson
Is there still some fight left or the writing is on the wall?
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