TikTok denies India comeback after reports of website going live

Despite recent speculation, TikTok has not made a return to India, as confirmed by TechCrunch on Friday. The brief accessibility of the platform's website led to media frenzy, but a spokesperson for TikTok clarified that the ban imposed by the Indian government is still in effect. The spokesperson reiterated, "We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive." An official from India’s IT Ministry also corroborated this statement, emphasizing that no measures have been taken to lift the ban that was enforced under Section 69A of the IT Act. Earlier reports from various local media outlets suggested that TikTok was potentially resuming operations in India, following reports from users who claimed they could access the site without a VPN. This unexpected occurrence is particularly notable, given that the ban on TikTok has been in place since late June 2020, when the Indian government blocked the app amid escalating geopolitical tensions with China. The unexpected accessibility is believed to have been caused by a technical glitch at the network level. A similar situation occurred in September 2022 when certain internet service providers mistakenly allowed access to TikTok and other blocked sites for some users during a system update. For now, the TikTok ban remains firmly in place, and the platform continues to comply with regulations set by Indian authorities.