TikTok India Comeback Denied - Website Reports Explained

TikTok Remains Banned in India: Reports of Access Were Due to a Technical Issue

Despite initial reports suggesting a potential return, TikTok has not been unbanned in India, as verified by TechCrunch on Friday.

These reports stemmed from a short period where the website was accessible to some users, leading to speculation about a possible comeback after a ban lasting over five years.

Official Confirmation of Continued Ban

A representative for TikTok communicated to TechCrunch that the ban imposed by the Indian government is still active.

The platform remains inaccessible within the country, and TikTok continues to adhere to the directives issued by the Government of India.

“We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive,” the spokesperson stated in an official email.

Government Stance on the Ban

A senior official within India’s IT Ministry also confirmed to TechCrunch, under the condition of anonymity, that no action has been taken to lift the ban.

The government has neither “unblocked” TikTok nor initiated any process to revoke the prohibition established under Section 69A of the IT Act.

Initial Reports and User Experiences

Earlier on Friday, numerous Indian media sources, including prominent national newspapers, indicated that TikTok was being reinstated in India.

This was based on reports from users who claimed the website loaded without the need for a VPN – a notable occurrence, given the ongoing ban since late June 2020.

The ban was implemented alongside restrictions on dozens of other applications linked to China, amidst escalating geopolitical tensions between the two nations.

Cause of the Brief Accessibility

The temporary reappearance of TikTok in India appears to have been caused by a misconfiguration at the network level.

A similar incident took place in September 2022, where certain internet service providers unintentionally unblocked TikTok and other restricted websites for a subset of users during a patch application, according to a source familiar with the situation.

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