The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has firmly denied reports suggesting that the ban on TikTok has been lifted, calling such claims “false and misleading.”
In a statement issued, officials from the Ministry clarified that no official order has been issued to unblock the Chinese short-video app, which has remained banned in India since June 2020 over national security concerns.
“Any statement or news that claims TikTok is unblocked in India is factually incorrect and misleading,” said a senior MeitY official, responding to speculation triggered by reports of users being able to access TikTok’s homepage.
The clarification comes amid a surge in online chatter and screenshots showing TikTok’s website loading in India —- a development that sparked confusion among users and raised questions about whether the ban had been quietly reversed. However, tech experts noted that sporadic access to certain websites may occur due to technical anomalies, cached data, or changes in web configurations and does not necessarily reflect any policy change.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, was among 59 Chinese apps banned by India in the wake of rising border tensions with China. The app has since remained inaccessible through official channels and no formal steps have been taken to reinstate it. As of now, there is no indication that the Indian Government is reviewing or reconsidering the ban.
Meanwhile, TikTok is also facing a ban in the US. However, President Donald Trump has said he has American buyers ready to acquire TikTok and he is open to extending the deadline.