India banned ByteDance Ltd.¡¯s viral short video service TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps, citing threats to its sovereignty and security as relations between the world¡¯s two largest populations worsened.
The unprecedented moratorium, announced days after escalating border tensions in the Himalayas left 20 Indian soldiers dead, deals a blow to the most prominent names in Chinese technology. The banned services included e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.¡¯s UC Web, social media leader Tencent Holdings Ltd.¡¯s WeChat and Baidu Inc.¡¯s map and translation platforms.
The move marks another attempt by India to reduce dependence on its neighbor¡¯s products and hampers efforts by China¡¯s largest corporations to expand beyond their own borders ¡ª a collective endeavor encapsulated by TikTok¡¯s phenomenal success abroad and particularly in India, ByteDance¡¯s largest international market. The world¡¯s most valuable startup responded by saying it wants to work with Modi¡¯s government to improve security for its hundreds of millions of domestic users.
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