TikTok on Friday denied reports of its comeback in India after users briefly noticed the platform’s website becoming accessible without a VPN, sparking widespread speculation across local media and social networks.

A TikTok spokesperson told that the short-video platform remains banned in India and continues to comply with government directives.

“We have not restored access to TikTok in India and continue to comply with the Government of India’s directive,” the company said in a statement.

Govt confirms ban stands

A senior official from India’s IT Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the government has not taken any steps to revoke the ban imposed in June 2020 under Section 69A of the IT Act.

This clarification came after several Indian outlets suggested that TikTok was returning, citing user reports of the website loading normally on some networks.

The brief accessibility appears to have been a network-level misconfiguration. A source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that a similar issue occurred in September 2022, when internet service providers (ISPs) inadvertently unblocked restricted sites, including TikTok, while applying technical patches.

Since its ban, TikTok has remained officially inaccessible in India, even as alternative short-video apps such as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and local players like Moj and Josh have filled the gap in the country’s booming creator economy.

Background on india’s TikTok ban

India banned TikTok in late June 2020, along with dozens of other Chinese apps, citing national security concerns amid escalating border tensions with China.

Despite repeated speculation about a possible re-entry, TikTok has so far been unable to negotiate a return to one of its largest former markets.