TikTok says it's stopping its operations in Hong-Kong, after India bans China-based app

In a major development on Tuesday, TikTok has suspended its operations in Hong Kong, as per reports by an international news ncy. This comes even as TikTok's parent ByteDance may be set to incur losses as huge as $6 billion after India banned Chinese applications amid border dispute. China has recently passed Hong Kong National security law that undermines 'one nation, two systems' doctrine, reby gazumping Hong Kong's automy. Thus,  move by TikTok also comes against backdrop of what critics have termed as China's attempt to curtail protest and freedom of speech under garb of 'bringing back stability' in Hong Kong with draconian security law. 

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As per reports, TikTok had earlier said that it would t comply with any requests made by Chinese government to censor content. As national security bill attempts to impose Chinese censorship laws in Hong Kong, TikTok might have to comply with it and private user information could be sent to mainland China. Even as re is direct ban on apps like Facebook, Twitter in China, companies have pulled out due to China's censorship laws and its terms and conditions that hamper user's privacy. tably, TikTok owned by ByteDance is still operational in country and is kwn as called Douyin. refore, move by TikTok becomes significant even as it will result in a loss of approximately 150,000 users. 

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India bans TikTok

In a surprise move last week, Home Ministry banned 59 Chinese Apps including TikTok. Centre stated that it has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of se apps for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers that have locations outside India. 

As India banned apps including TikTok, Chinese mouthpiece Global Times quoting sources said that loss to parent company - Beijing-based ByteDance could be as high as $6 billion. At time that TikTok was taken down, it had approximately 370 million users on Play Store, with a large majority of those coming from India. 

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In its statement post its ban, TikTok claimed to have democratised Indian Internet, by making its app available in 14 Indian langus. "We have been invited to meet concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has t shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including Chinese government. Furr we are requested to in future we would t do so. We place highest importance on user privacy and integrity," TikTok said in its statement.

Earlier, issuing a statement on apps ban by India, China had said that it violates international trade rms. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Beijing is strongly concerned, and is verifying situation. He also added that Indian government has a responsibility to uphold legal rights of international investors including Chinese ones. However, statement reeks of hypocrisy as China is infamous for banning far larger Internet companies from operating on its shores with far less explanation.

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