In 2020, India banned TikTok along with numerous other applications amid escalating border tensions with China. Although the platform was widely popular prior to the prohibition, it appears that TikTok still retains user data from Indian accounts, even after access to the app has been cut off, according to a recent investigation.
Currently, TikTok faces scrutiny in the United States, where it has gained significant traction among users, potentially leading to a ban due to national security concerns. Additionally, countries such as Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have restricted the use of TikTok on government devices.
A report by Forbes, which analyzed internal documents from TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, revealed that they can still access the user data of accounts from India, despite the ban enacted in 2020. An unnamed TikTok employee confirmed to Forbes that the platform allows for the identification of users’ connections and the gathering of personally identifiable information, even for Indian users.
The ban initiated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) prompted Google and Apple to remove TikTok from their respective app stores. Although Android users can sideload the app, those with Indian IP addresses or SIM cards from Indian providers are blocked from accessing the service. The ban was made permanent in 2021.
Importantly, despite the service being discontinued in India, the data previously shared by users—including posts, social interactions, and various details—has not been deleted since the ban took effect. A TikTok spokesperson stated to Forbes that the company has been fully compliant with the Indian government’s order since its implementation.
At the time of the ban, TikTok boasted approximately 100 million users in India. Now, with the application facing a potential ban in the United States—where it has recently reached 150 million users—the Forbes report underscores concerns regarding the retention of historical user data following a ban. Gadgets 360 has reached out to MeitY for further comments and will provide updates as they become available.
