In the crossfire between India and China, the TikTok verse is the hapless victim. Many call it cringe, but for millions of internet users in India, TikTok was a freedom of expression.

So, when the ban on the 59 Chinese apps was announced, TikTok being one of those hugely popular apps on the ban list , it was a melancholic moment for the app's users who have been making and consuming content since its launch in India in 2017.

With 119 million active users in India, Tik Tok has a lot to lose monetarily if the ban stays permanently. Chinese company ByteDance – the parent company of the TikTok and Helo apps – has already estimated a loss of up to $6 billion from this ban, and perhaps that's why some are lauding it as India's "digital strike" against Chinese aggression at the LAC.

But for TikTokers, this verse had this unusual quality of being both a creative outlet, and a safe space where India's marginalised sections from rural and urban spaces could express themselves.

In this podcast we'll look at the evolution of TikTok in India and what roles it played for India's youth and we'll also hear from TikTokers about what the ban on this platform means for them. Tune in to The Big Story!

Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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