TikTok India Begins Recruitment For New Roles Amid Continued Ban And Speculations

TikTok India has recently begun recruiting for two roles at its Gurgaon office, despite the app remaining banned in the country. The positions advertised on LinkedIn are for "Content Moderator (Bengali Speaker) Trust and Safety" and "Wellbeing Partnership and Operations Lead, Trust and Safety." This move comes after the TikTok India website became accessible again, leading to speculation about a possible lift of the ban.

However, government sources have clarified that TikTok's status remains unchanged, with the app still unavailable on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has stated that any reports suggesting TikTok's accessibility in India are false. "The Government of India has not issued any unblocking order for TikTok. Any such statement or news is false and misleading," government sources said.

Background of TikTok Ban

In June 2020, TikTok was among 59 mobile applications banned by the Indian government. This decision was made amid rising tensions between India and China following clashes in the Galwan Valley. The ban was supported by then Union Home Minister Amit Shah and approved by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla before being formally ordered by the IT ministry.

The Indian government cited concerns over national sovereignty, security, and public order as reasons for banning these apps. Officials noted that some apps were allegedly leaking user data, including location information, to servers in China. Additionally, certain apps were flagged for containing objectionable content.

Concerns Over Chinese Apps

Before its ban, TikTok had an estimated 200 million users in India. Concerns over Chinese-made hardware and software have been raised not only in India but also globally. These concerns are particularly significant in the context of 5G networking equipment due to potential backdoors that could compromise security.

The list of banned applications also included UC Browser and WeChat. The decision to ban these apps was part of broader measures taken by the Indian government to address security concerns related to Chinese technology.

Despite recent developments regarding job postings at TikTok India's Gurgaon office, there has been no official confirmation from the government about lifting the ban on TikTok. The app remains inaccessible on major app stores in India as of now.