TikTok To Begin Laying Off Employees In India As Ban Continues - Reports

NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2021) TikTok parent company ByteDance told its employees in India that it will begin laying off a large part of its workforce in the country as the government ban drags on, media reported.

TikTok was one of 59 Chinese-developed apps banned in India since July 2020 following the deadly flareup in tensions between the two countries over the Himalayan border dispute.

According to Indian outlet Economic Times, Interim CEO Vanessa Pappas and VP Blake Chandlee made the announcement in a email shared with Tiktok India staff.

"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," the email, circulated Wednesday morning read, according to the newspaper.

The app's global leadership explained that they have not received any clarity from authorities on how or when the app could be restored in the country.

"We continually strive to make our apps comply with local laws and regulations and do our best to address any concerns they have. 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 statement said.

Also on Wednesday, Chinese Embassy in India Spokeswoman Ji Rong called the continued ban a violation of World Trade Organization non-discriminatory and fair competition principles.

The fistfight that broke out last year between Indian and Chinese soldiers high in the Ladakh region led to 20 deaths on the Indian side and an undisclosed number on the other side. This was the worst bloodshed over the border dispute since the two waged a short war in 1962. As a confidence-building measure, troops in the region are not given firearms, meaning that most of the deaths came as a result of falls and injuries made more fatal in the low-oxygen environment.

The two sides have held nine rounds of talks but have yet to reach any substantive breakthroughs as they continue to build up military presence along the Line of Actual Control.