TikTok unblocking rumours debunked: No change in India’s ban

New Delhi: The Government of India has categorically denied reports suggesting that the Chinese social media platform TikTok has been unblocked, labelling such claims as "false and misleading."

Official sources confirmed late on Friday that no order has been issued to lift the ban on TikTok, which was among several apps blocked in June 2020 following the India-China border clashes in the Galwan Valley, eastern Ladakh.

Speculation about TikTok’s return surfaced after some users reported accessing the platform’s website, specifically the About page, on desktop browsers in India. 

BestMediaInfo staff in New Delhi verified this, successfully loading TikTok’s About page on Friday night, with a screenshot of the live page published alongside their report. 

However, other sections of the website, including the Newsroom, Career, and other URLs, remained inaccessible, indicating no comprehensive restoration of access.

A government source clarified, "The Government of India has not issued any unblocking order for TikTok. Any such statement or news is false and misleading." 

This statement puts to rest rumours sparked by partial website accessibility, which appears to be an isolated technical occurrence rather than a policy shift.

The TikTok ban, initiated in June 2020, was part of a broader crackdown on 59 Chinese apps, including UC Browser and Shein, citing national security concerns amid heightened tensions with China. 

Later that year, additional apps, including the popular gaming platform PUBG, were also blocked. All these platforms remain under the government’s ban, with no official orders indicating a reversal.

In a related development, some users reported accessing the website of AliExpress, another Chinese platform banned in 2020. 

Unlike TikTok, AliExpress.com’s pages were fully accessible as of Saturday morning. However, the AliExpress app, like TikTok’s, remains unavailable in India. 

Authorities have emphasised that web access alone does not indicate regulatory clearance, and the bans on these platforms’ apps and services remain firmly in place.

As of now, the status quo persists. TikTok, AliExpress, and other apps blocked in 2020 continue to be restricted in India, with no changes to the government’s stance. 

The partial accessibility of certain websites appears to be a technical anomaly rather than a signal of policy relaxation. 

BestMediaInfo will continue to monitor developments and provide updates on this matter.