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China’s ByteDance to store data locally in India after rising privacy concerns

  • TikTok has an estimated 300 million downloads in India
  • India has warned the Chinese-owned app that it faces a ban in India if it does not address privacy and content concerns

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TikTok is estimated to have almost 300 million downloads in India. Photo: Reuters
Sarah Daiin Beijing

China’s ByteDance said it plans to open a data centre in India after its widely acclaimed short-video app TikTok sparked concerns over user privacy and content regulation.

TikTok, the short-video sharing platform estimated to have almost 300 million downloads in India, has come under the spotlight since the country’s Ministry of Information and Technology demanded its Chinese parent company to explain how it collects user data and whether it has become a hub for antinational or unlawful activities.

The authorities warned that ByteDance’s apps may be banned in India if ByteDance failed to provide an appropriate response, according to local media reports earlier this month citing a letter from the ministry.

TikTok’s parent company ByteDance issued a statement declaring its gratitude for support for their app in India. Photo: Reuters
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance issued a statement declaring its gratitude for support for their app in India. Photo: Reuters

Beijing-based ByteDance said that it was taking a “significant step towards establishing a data centre” in India, while examining options for “safe, secure and reliable services” for local users, according to a statement on Monday.

“We are grateful for the immense support given to us by India’s growing digital community,” ByteDance said in the statement. “India is one of our strongest markets and we are happy to be part of the mainframe of Digital India in 15 Indian languages.”

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