Indian invasion of Chinese social media apps like TikTok, SHAREit and Helo sparks fear and loathing in New Delhi
- As Chinese social media apps like TikTok take India by storm, they stand accused of everything from spreading sexually explicit material to spying and crowding out local competitors
- With government alarm bells ringing and calls for outright bans, the clock could be ticking on their time in the sun
A scantily clad girl walks in front of her boyfriend, seeking approval of her outfit. He shakes his head. She puts more items on, and then a few more, but still no luck. Finally, she puts on a burka and her boyfriend cheers: “Wow, perfect!”
The country now accounts for about 40 per cent of the app’s 500 million users, according to the analytics firm Similar Web.
Rising stars like Bangia are among the many beneficiaries – she is one of about 50 Indians, mainly comedians and actors, who have amassed more than a million followers on TikTok. Their popularity in part reflects India’s unique demographics – 65 per cent of its 1.3 billion people are below the age of 35 and more than 400 million of them own a smartphone. But it also reflects a growing trend in which Indians are turning to Chinese-developed social media platforms.
Networking apps and e-commerce platforms such as UC Browser, SHAREit, Club Factory, Helo, Vigo and LIKE have all experienced similar explosions in popularity. Helo, a networking app made by China’s Toutiao, grew its Indian user base from around 60,000 in June 2018 to more than 6 million in January 2019, according to SimilarWeb.