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Ban on Chinese apps, including TikTok, surprises India content makers
India's decision to ban 59 Chinese apps on national security grounds follows a deadly border clash.
www.bbc.com
The ban is already affecting millions of users across India, who are unable to use the blacklisted apps.
"As China has shown, governments can indeed block apps - not just remove them from the app stores, which has already happened in India, so you can't install them afresh or upgrade an existing install," says tech policy expert Prasanto K Roy.
He adds that although there are ways to get around the ban, it will "effectively kill" popular apps.
"If over 95% of 100 million users exit, that kills the 'network effect' and most of the content, and hence an app like TikTok is no longer attractive."
India is TikTok's biggest foreign market, with an estimated 120 million active users. TikTok allows users to publish and share short videos.
In the years since it has launched in India, the app has become a platform for Indians of all ages and classes - from police constables to housewives - who dance, sing and perform for their followers. The app has turned many ordinary Indians into social media stars.
And Mr Roy says the ban will hurt all Indians who were making money and business connections through these apps.
"The thousands of TikTok influencers who were making a living off the platform and the many Indian traders and businessmen who need to connect to people in China and do that over WeChat —this cuts them off."
He agrees that there is cause for concern around how the apps treat user data, but he says the response should be in the form of a privacy law, which India doesn't have.
"It's a soft strike at the Chinese, payback for the claimed border violations and recent violent conflict," he adds.
People just never learn. SMH. I bet as soon as the tensions cool, the government will be forced to unban Tik Tok due to insane demand. More people care about see White Jailbaits shaking their asses on it than some stupid border war in the mountains.
