financetom
Politics
financetom
/
Politics
/
TikTok distances from Beijing in response to India app ban
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
TikTok distances from Beijing in response to India app ban
Jul 4, 2020 4:22 AM

Social media app TikTok distanced itself from Beijing after India banned 59 Chinese apps in the country, according to a correspondence seen by Reuters.

In a letter to the Indian government dated June 28th and seen by Reuters on Friday, TikTok Chief Executive Kevin Mayer said the Chinese government has never requested user data, nor would the company turn it over if asked.

TikTok, which is not available in China, is owned by China’s ByteDance but has sought to distance itself from its Chinese roots to appeal to a global audience. Along with 58 other Chinese apps, including Tencent Holdings Ltd’s WeChat and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s UC Browser, it was banned in India this week following a border clash with China.

“I can confirm that the Chinese government has never made a request to us for the TikTok data of Indian users,” Mayer wrote, adding that data for Indian users is stored in servers in Singapore. “If we do ever receive such a request in the future, we would not comply.”

The letter was sent ahead of a likely meeting next week between the company and the government, one source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

One Indian government source told Reuters this week the ban was unlikely to be revoked soon. Lawyers have said a legal challenge was unlikely to be successful, given India has cited national security concerns for the ban.

The ban, which upset India’s growing legion of TikTok stars, has also given a lift to local rivals such as Roposo, which added 22 million new users in the 48 hours after the ban took effect.

TikTok has committed to spend $1 billion in the region. Since its launch in 2017, it has become one of the fastest- growing social media apps. India is its largest market by user, followed by the United States.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Lok Sabha passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill — All you need to know
Lok Sabha passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill — All you need to know
Jul 11, 2023
Activists have contended that words like "ecotourism facilities" and "any other purposes" are too vague and may pave the way for widespread exploitation and misuse.
What is the debate over Biodiversity Bill, likely to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament
What is the debate over Biodiversity Bill, likely to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament
Jul 12, 2023
The new bill exempts registered AYUSH practitioners and people accessing codified traditional knowledge, from sharing benefits with local communities or giving prior intimation to state biodiversity boards before accessing biological resources.
Govt blames inaction by AAP in Punjab, Delhi for bad air quality
Govt blames inaction by AAP in Punjab, Delhi for bad air quality
Nov 6, 2023
Accusing Kejriwal of being busy with election campaigning in poll-bound states and waking up to the situation late, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, said that the Centre had held a meeting with Chief Secretaries and senior officials from four North Indian states on 20th October to discuss measures to reduce air pollution, which he claims weren't adopted by the AAP-led governments.
Brahmapuram waste plant fire: Kerala Assembly witnesses uproarious scenes, LoP says CM running away from issue
Brahmapuram waste plant fire: Kerala Assembly witnesses uproarious scenes, LoP says CM running away from issue
Mar 13, 2023
A fire that broke out at the waste treatment plant in Kochi on March 2, 2023, continues to spread toxic fumes even after 11 days of the incident. The Kerala government has said that 95 percent of the fire has been extinguished, but the smoke from the landfill has not entirely subsided. 
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved