TikTok is back under the spotlight of the world. In August 2025, rumours about the possibility of Tik Tok returning to India rapidly spread on social media, as some people were able to access its site briefly without a VPN. Meanwhile, the ByteDance-owned short-video site also runs on an extended deadline in the US, with President Donald Trump having lowered his voice about security risks and moved the deadline even more.

Is TikTok coming back to India, or not ? What does the divest-or-ban decision portend of the future of the platform? We will examine the current updates regarding tiktok banned in India and the U.S., what led to their bans, and the political and regulation context in which TikTok will struggle in the months to come back.

What is TikTok and why is it in the news?

TikTok is a social media platform with short videos that is owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance. It enables users to produce and distribute videos, content creation, that comprise but are not limited to lip-syncing and comedy skits, tutorials, and trending challenges.

Important information of TikTok:

The use of AI to drive the so-called For You Page (FYP) that offers users what they are most likely to interact with.

• Super viral music and sound patterns that drive creator culture.
• A creator-friendly ecosystem, where normal users can rapidly go viral.
• A worldwide presence with more than 1 billion monthly active users prior to bans that have restricted its growth in certain regions.

The app has become a cultural phenomenon among Gen Z and it has a significant impact on fashion, music, politics, and brand marketing on the global scale. Its connection to China has given rise to mistrust in certain nations though leading to ban and regulatory obstacles.

Why Tik Tok was Banned in India

On June 29, 2020, TikTok was among 58 Chinese-origin applications banned in India under Section 69A of the IT Act. The government used the following concerns:

• The sovereignty and integrity of India
• The security of the state
• Public order

This decision came in the backdrop of border tensions with China and escalated concerns that Chinese apps could be transmitting sensitive user data to servers abroad.

Official Reasons for TikTok Ban in India:

Factor	Explanation
Data Privacy Concerns	Fear that Indian users’ personal data was being transmitted outside the country, possibly misused for profiling or espionage.
National Security	Apps of Chinese origin were viewed as potential threats amid worsening India-China border tensions.
Public Order & Sovereignty	The government framed the ban as essential to protect sovereignty and prevent risks to internal security.
Legal Basis	Enforced under Section 69A of the IT Act, which gives power to block apps/websites in the interest of national security.

The ban has never been officially lifted. TikTok was removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and telecom operators blocked access to its servers.

Why A Tik Tok Revival in India Is Trending

The whole TikTok comeback buzz in India has been facilitated by a number of factors:

• Website hitch in accessibility – initiated viral talk
• Historical precedents Several other banned Chinese apps which were made inaccessible, such as Shein (fashion) and BGMI (gaming), have since regained access following regulatory approval.
• International events – as the U.S gave TikTok multiple deadline extensions to keep it running, Indian users hoped that India would take the same approach.
• Cultural vacuum-Numerous Indian creators are still deprived of the original TikTok ecosystem, even though alternatives such as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and even Moj do exist.

TikTok Comeback Rumors in India, August 2025

On August 22- 24, 2025, TikTik reportedly was accessible to Indian users without VPN. Screenshots circulated and led to speculation that Tik Tok had unseen resurrograted after an absence of five years. Both company sources and Indian government officials soon clarified:

• There was no authorized order to unblock.

• This temporary reliability was probably because of an ISP level misconfiguration.

• TikTok is yet to be made available in app stores in India. 

• This reflects recent 2022 precedent, where Chinese apps that had been banned reemerged in the network due to technical issues, then were banned once more.

What Indian Government said:

• No formal reversal of the ban instituted in 2020.
• TikTok continues to be under the ban in Section 69A IT Act.
• Powers of sovereignty, integrity and security still hold.
• No non-objection to legal operation in India.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Position:

Understated threshold issues as excessive garage.The world does not be concerned about security issues. 

• Said that White House will continue pushing back deadlines as buyers negotiate
• Wants a divestment agreement but not out and out ban.

Why TikTok Faces Pressure in the U.S.

Whereas TikTok experienced rocket growth in the U.S., a sense of it as a threat to national security began to grow as ByteDance is a Chinese company. The issues of concern were:

• Data access by China: The concern that China could oblige ByteDance to give data.
• Influence operations: Algorithms can be manipulated to influence opinion or elections.
• Privacy: Overall threat to American users by mass surveillance.
• Due to this, in 2024 a law was passed by U.S. Congress that ByteDance will have to divest TikTok operations in the United States, or otherwise face outright prohibition.

Nationals of any country may also use it, unless it has been revoked. U.S. Status (as of August 2025):

• TikTok is still working in the U.S. 
• US President Donald Trump granted TikTik a 90-day reprieve to operate in the U.S. but Bytedance is yet to fulfil divestment.
• President Donald Trump has twice called extensions of the divestment deadline with the last one extending it to September 17, 2025.
• If ByteDance does not sell its U.S. operations to a company approved by the U.S. government before this date, the ban could be permanently enforced.
• Trump has termed the risks of national security as being overvalued and prefers to have extra time of negotiations with likely U.S. purchasers.

Current Status of TikTok

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of TikTok’s status in India and the U.S.:

Topic	India Status	U.S. Status
Legal Position	Ban under Section 69A still valid; no reversal order issued.	Law requires ByteDance to divest U.S. operations or face ban.
App Availability	Not on Play Store or App Store; brief website access was a misconfiguration.	App available; divestment deadline extended multiple times.
Political Signals	Government reiterates ban rationale: sovereignty, integrity, security.	Trump favors extensions, saying security risks “overrated.”
Near-Term Outlook	Ban continues; comeback rumors unsubstantiated.	Further extensions likely; immediate ban unlikely.

Conclusion

TikTok has become among the most powerful social media platforms that people can use to entertain and educate themselves in the whole world, besides offering them with links. It is now the source of innovativeness, trends, and promotion, which gives ordinary people and companies an opportunity to reach a large number of consumers. Along with the benefits associated with TikTok, such as a blast of fun and development, there are several issues one has to face, such as screen time, privacy, and safe content. Its use responsibly is the only way to get out of going to its advantages. Overall, TikTok is an application that still defines digital culture, promotes creativity, and defines trends in social media all across the world.

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