TikTok reacts as India bans TikTok and other 56 Chinese apps

In the wake of announcement that India had banned TikTok and 56 other Chinese apps from use by its citizens, TikTok has a message for the world via a statement.

The tensions between the world's two most populous nations will continue to rise.

It reads, "Building empowered local management teams in the countries where TikTok operates, including India, has been critical to our global success.

"While the Government of India has issued an interim order to block 59 apps, our team of around 2,000 employees in India is committed to working with the government to demonstrate our dedication to user security and our commitment to the country overall.

"We are proud to provide hundreds of millions of users in India – and around the world – a creative platform for their stories, performances, education, and, often, a way to make their livelihood."

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Relations between the world's two most populous nations have been strained following the deaths of 20 Indian troops in hand-to-hand fighting with their Chinese counterparts on the western end of the high-altitude, contested border in mid-June.

On June 29, 2020, the Indian Ministry of technology stated that the 56 banned apps "are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," the ministry of information technology said in a statement.

"The government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain apps... This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace."

Bloomberg reported that, "The move marks another attempt by India to reduce dependence on its neighbor’s products and hampers efforts by China’s largest corporations to expand beyond their own borders -- a collective endeavor encapsulated by TikTok’s phenomenal success abroad and particularly in India, ByteDance’s largest international market.

"The world’s most valuable startup responded by saying it will meet with Narendra Modi’s government to discuss the matter."

The tensions between the world's two most populous nations will continue to rise.