Amid reports of users gaining access to TikTok’s homepage in India, officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have clarified that the app remains banned in the country.
Some users recently claimed they could open TikTok’s website in India. Despite such claims, the app is reportedly missing from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Unnamed officials from the government told media outlets that no order had been passed to unblock TikTok. They called such claims misleading.
TikTok became an overnight success when the world was in the grip of the Covid pandemic in 2020. People spent time creating or watching videos on this platform.
Its growth, according to media accounts, has been meteoric. It rose faster than Facebook and Instagram.
TikTok’s global rise could be attributed to powerful algorithm and creative tools.
Using AI and machine learning, the platform picks up on what users want. It tracks how people interact with videos. It identifies how long they watch, what they like, ignore, pause or fine-tune.
Instead of focusing on follower count, TikTok identifies relevance of content. Regardless of popularity, anyone can use TikTok to access a wide audience.
How was TikTok born? It has an interesting backstory which dates back to 2016. Chinese tech company ByteDance launched Douyin, a short-video app that gained popularity in China and Thailand. Within a year, it touched approximately 100 million users.
Aiming for global reach, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly in 2017. The app was later rebranded as TikTok.
The move reportedly led to TikTok’s rise. It turned into a social media behemoth and a cultural rage.
Its impact on other social media platforms could be gauged by the way Instagram had to reinvent itself. Instagram launched Reels in response to TikTok’s short-form video format to invite user engagement.
This is the age of influencer marketing. Social media brands have to reinvent themselves or perish. TikTok’s popularity compelled Instagram to focus on algorithm-driven video content and creator tools.
The ban on TikTok was first imposed five years ago. The central government had blocked 59 mobile applications, most of them Chinese. The decision was made following concerns that these apps threatened India’s state security, defence and public order.
The step had been taken after India-China tension grew along the border. Relations between New Delhi and Beijing had already strained following the Galwan Valley clashes in Ladakh five years ago.
At the time, India supported the move to block the apps. The decision was backed by a recommendation from the then Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and was formally issued by the IT ministry according to official protocol.
Indian media reported it was leaking user data. An official from the IT ministry recently said the apps were collecting sensitive details, including users’ location.
The data was allegedly being sent to servers in China. It was said that some beauty apps, like Beauty Plus and Selfie Camera, were flagged for porn content and security risks.
TikTok reportedly had close to 200 million users in India in 2020.
Even globally, concerns were rising over Chinese tech companies. They were accused of inserting backdoors into their hardware and software. Several countries had raised this issue. Much of the worry focused on Chinese-made 5G network equipment.
It brings into question TikTok’s future.
Most evidence indicates that TikTok collects data much like other major platforms, such as Facebook — nothing wildly out of the ordinary in today’s digital world.
What sets TikTok apart is its claim to be more open about it. The company says it’s ready to lift the curtain a bit — a rare gesture in an industry that usually prefers closed doors.
Kevin Mayer, TikTok’s new CEO and a former Disney executive, said the platform would allow independent experts to review the code behind its algorithms. In a sector where code is treated like state secrets, that’s a surprisingly bold and slightly refreshing move to regain global trust.
But, for now, TikTok’s future hangs in the balance even as it’s gradually moving towards AI-powered content moderation and is laying off staff to cut costs.
According to latest reports, TikTok is building a new version of the app just for the US States and it could launch as soon as September 5. With Insta seating itself in public consciousness, TikTok will have to do much more to be more relevant even if the ban is lifted.
Also Read: Porbandar Case Shows Gujarat In The Grip Of Online Gambling Menace https://www.vibesofindia.com/porbandar-case-shows-gujarat-in-the-grip-of-online-gambling-menace/
