Tik Tok stored Indian user data in Singapore server

Confirming Indian government's stance that banned Chinese apps were transmitting user data outside the country, short format video platform Tik Tok has confirmed that it has been storing the data in Singapore servers. However, ByteDance, which owns Tik Tok, absolved Chinese authorities, saying that they have never asked for Indian user data.

ByteDance said that Indian users' data is located in servers in Singapore, as per a report by Dow Jones. The company plans to build a data centre in India as well, its chief executive Kevin Mayer said in a letter sent to Indian officials.

However, Mayer also said that Chinese authorities never requested data of their Indian users, and that the company wouldn't comply request.

The government had banned 59 Chinese apps a few days back after the Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources, including several reports, about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting with such a users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India.

"The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," the government had said.

An industry expert said, "Almost all of these apps have located their servers outside the country. India has certain guidelines regarding storage of data, its mining and analysis. India's data protection laws restricts taking out them out of the country."

As per reports, TikTok had earlier confirmed that it has no plans to pursue legal action against the Indian government. Mayer, in a letter to its Indian staff, had said the company was working with stakeholders to address their concerns. "We have also assured more than 2,000 strong workforce that we will do everything in our power to restore the positive experiences and opportunities that they can be proud of."