ByteDance, whose viral short-video app TikTok experienced a short ban in India over “inappropriate content” in April, is facing new trouble in the South Asian country as its two popular apps TikTok and Helo get more unwanted attention from the Indian government, the Times of India reported.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has reportedly sent a list of 24 questions to the Beijing-based company which ByteDance needs to respond to by Monday, July 22.
One of the questions the government asks is whether TikTok and Helo plan to store data domestically and requested the company to make sure they would not be transferred to foreign governments.
The Indian authority is also concerned whether ByteDance’s local messaging app Helo had been profiting from political ads and whether the company had done enough to restrict usage of TikTok by those underage, the report said.
ByteDance says it’s taking the Government’s request seriously.
“Our continued success in India will not be possible without the support of our local community. We take our responsibilities to this community seriously and welcome this opportunity to fully collaborate with the Government to meet and exceed our obligations,” said the spokesperson for TikTok and Helo in India in a statement to KrASIA.
ByteDance said India is one of the strongest markets for the company.