Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Sep 06, 2025

TikTok is laying off employees in India as ban becomes permanent

TikTok is laying off employees in India as ban becomes permanent

TikTok has been forced to lay off some of its workers in India as the country doubles down on what was already a monthslong ban on the app in the country.

The popular short video app announced Wednesday that it will cut workers in India after it had "not been given a clear direction on how and when our apps could be reinstated."

"It is deeply regretful that after supporting our 2000+ employees in India for more than half a year, we have no choice but to scale back the size of our workforce," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.

TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, did not say how many workers would be affected, and it did not immediately respond to a request for comment for more detail.

TikTok made its decision public days after Indian media reported that the country plans to make permanent a ban on 59 Chinese apps that were blocked last June, including TikTok, Tencent's WeChat and Alibaba's UC Browser. Indian regulators at the time claimed that the apps posed a "threat to sovereignty and integrity."

The ban was a huge blow to TikTok, which had an estimated 120 million users in India.

And though TikTok said this week that it has "worked steadfastly to comply with" authorities in the country, such efforts appear to have had little effect.

A source in the Ministry of Electronics and IT told CNN Business on Wednesday that the government decided this week to make the ban permanent because
it was unsatisfied with how the Chinese companies had addressed concerns about data collection and security.

"We continually strive to make our apps comply with local laws and regulations, and do our best to address any concerns they have," the TikTok spokesperson said. "It is therefore disappointing that in the ensuing seven months, despite our efforts we have not been given a clear direction on how and when our apps could be reinstated."

The spokesperson added that the company hopes the app will someday be allowed to return.

High-running tensions


Tensions between China and India have been escalating since last summer, when a bloody clash along a disputed border in the Himalayas left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

India has banned dozens of Chinese apps since then, and reportedly moved to block Huawei from participating in India's 5G telecommunications network.

And many Indians have called for a boycott of Chinese goods and services.

The business impact may be limited for some companies, including Alibaba (BABA), which already scaled back in India following the ban.

Last August, CEO Daniel Zhang announced that the company had "decided to stop the operations" of UC Browser, a web browsing app, and other initiatives in India.

"We do not expect it to have a material impact on the group's overall financial performance," he told analysts during an earnings call, citing an "extensive review of the business."

A UC Browser spokesperson declined to comment.

Tencent (TCEHY) has not yet outlined its plans.

"Tencent complies with all applicable orders and regulations, and continues to adhere to applicable laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. We look forward to continuing to focus on our core markets and providing valuable services for our users," a spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Business.

The company declined to provide further details.

Ji Rong, a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, on Wednesday reiterated China's opposition to the ban.

"Since last year, the Indian side has repeatedly used national security as an excuse to prohibit some mobile apps with Chinese background. These moves [are] in violation of WTO non-discriminatory principles," she said.

Geopolitical tensions between India and China, meanwhile, have continued to simmer. On Monday, the Indian Army disclosed that there had been a "minor" face-off between Indian soldiers and China's People's Liberation Army.

The incident took place last Wednesday near a disputed border high in the Himalayas, and "was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols," the Indian Army said in a statement.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×