ByAnish
TikTok Not Back in India Despite Brief Website Access
Reports of TikTok making a comeback in India were quickly debunked after the Chinese-owned short-video platform’s website was briefly accessible to some users. TechCrunch confirmed that TikTok has not been unbanned in India, and the platform remains blocked following the government’s 2020 ban.
Official Statement
A TikTok spokesperson stated, “We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive.” Additionally, a senior official at India’s IT Ministry confirmed that the government has not revoked the ban imposed under Section 69A of the IT Act.
The confusion arose when some users reported being able to access TikTok without a VPN. This brief accessibility is believed to be caused by a network-level misconfiguration, similar to an incident in September 2022, when certain restricted sites were inadvertently accessible due to ISP updates.
Background on the Ban
The Indian government blocked TikTok in June 2020, citing national security concerns amid escalating tensions with China. The ban targeted TikTok along with dozens of other Chinese-linked apps. Since then, TikTok has remained inaccessible in the country, and no official channels have indicated a reversal.
What Users Should Know
Despite the temporary glitch, TikTok users in India cannot access the platform through standard means. Users attempting to reach the website without VPNs should expect connectivity issues until official changes occur.
Why the Brief Access Happened
Experts suggest such brief appearances are typically caused by ISP-level routing errors or server misconfigurations, not regulatory changes. These technical issues can occasionally allow access to banned sites for small subsets of users before being corrected.
The Bottom Line
TikTok remains officially banned in India, and any reports of a sudden comeback are false. While the platform continues to grow globally, Indian users will have to wait for any future government decision regarding its unblocking.
