TikTok Website Accessible For Some Users Though Govt Has Not Lifted Ban

The website of TikTok, the China-based video streaming platform, was accessible to several users on Friday even as government sources said no official directive has been issued to unblock the website.

While the homepage remains accessible, the app is not available on app stores. Users cannot, however, log in or upload or watch videos on the website.

Additionally, sources in the Department of Telecom said Internet service providers (ISPs) continue to block the website, making it unclear how the website could open for some users.

TikTok was banned in India in 2020, days after the Galwan Valley clash, with the government citing security concerns around the service.

The sudden appearance of the website led to speculation on whether the service could be back in India though government sources made it clear no such decision has been taken.

The development assumed importance coming as it did in the wake of thaw in Indo-Sino ties, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday to discuss the bilateral relations.

India and China on Tuesday unveiled a series of measures for a "stable, cooperative and forward-looking" relationship that included jointly maintaining peace along the frontier, reopening border trade, promoting investment flows, and resuming direct flight connectivity at the earliest.

TikTok has also landed in trouble in the US with both the Joe Biden and Donald Trump administrations imposing restrictions on the service and asking for its Chinese parent to divest stake in the US arm.