TikTok ban in the US: What makes India’s prohibition on the Chinese app different from the US ban? Described

US President Joe Biden has signed into law a measure aimed at either banning Chinese app TikTok or compelling its sale. Members of the US Congress cited national security concerns regarding the app as long as it remains under the control or influence of ByteDance.

However, TikTok has vehemently refuted these claims, asserting that it has never shared user data from the US with Beijing, nor does it intend to do so. CEO Shou Zi Chew stated, “We will challenge the new law in court.”

India banned TikTok approximately four years ago, citing similar privacy apprehensions, alongside concerns about Chinese apps jeopardizing national sovereignty and security. The ban, initiated in June 2020, followed a military clash along the India-China border and encompassed numerous other Chinese apps. The decision garnered widespread support in India, where there has been a call for boycotting Chinese products since the border conflict in the Karakoram mountains.

Nikhil Pahwa, a digital policy expert and founder of tech website MediaNama, noted that the TikTok ban in India was comprehensive, with over 500 Chinese apps prohibited to date. In contrast, the US ban faces greater challenges due to TikTok’s significant revenue from the American market and the robust protections afforded by the First Amendment.

Pahwa emphasized the importance for countries to evaluate their reliance on China and seek avenues to mitigate associated risks to national security. Additionally, he highlighted that TikTok is banned in Pakistan, Nepal, and Afghanistan, with restrictions imposed in several European nations.