Why is TikTok banned in India? CEO grilled in US Congress, answers questions on China link

Amid growing security concerns, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Thursday testified before the US Congress over potential Chinese government influence over the company. During the confrontation, Chew faced hostile questioning from the committee and assured that the social media giant is taking "real action" to address the national security concerns of the US.

During the line of questioning, US Lawmaker Debbie Lesko raised the issue of TikTok being recently banned in India and other countries. "This (TikTok) is a tool which is ultimately under the control of the Chinese government and screams out with national security concerns, how can all of these countries and our FBI director be wrong, Mr Chew?" asked Lesko.

In response Chew said, "I think a lot of risks pointed out are hypothetical and theoretical risks. I have not seen any evidence".

Once again reiterating and stressing on the ban imposed by India, the Congresswoman stated "India banned TikTok in 2020. In March 2021, a Forbes article revealed how data of Indian citizens who used TikTok remained accessible to employees at the company. A current TikTok employee told Forbes that nearly anyone with basic access to company tools can easily look up the closest contact and other sensitive information about any user," Lesko informed her colleagues.

Chew responded, "This article is recent and I have asked my team to look into it. We have rigorous data access protocols and there is no such thing as anybody can access the tools. So, I disagree with a lot of the conclusions". 

During a four-hour-long hearing, Chew kept on stressing that the TikTok app, which is owned by the Chinese technology company Bytedance, does not share data with the Chinese government. It doesn't pose a risk to its 150 million users in the US nor shares data with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Why is TikTok banned in India?

In 2020, India imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the messaging app WeChat citing privacy and national security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops at the LAC that killed 20 Indian soldiers and injured dozens.

Following the standoff, several groups across the nation protested against the sale of Chinese goods. Moreover, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL)- a PSU under the aegis of the Ministry of Railways terminated a Chinese company’s contract. The BCCI too called a council meeting to rethink its sponsorship from Chinese companies. The Centre took steps to decrease Chinese imports to make India more self-reliant. Apart from these, recently several Indian companies with Chinese funding have faced the ire of the public as 'ban Chinese goods' sentiment grew stronger.

The companies were given a chance to respond to questions on privacy and security requirements but the ban was made permanent in January 2021.