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Speaking to Bar & Bench, Rohatgi confirmed his decision and said,
“It doesn’t feel right to appear for a Chinese company in view of the current tension.”
It is understood that TikTok is planning to challenge the Indian government's move to ban the video-sharing platform earlier this week.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar has also refused to represent one of the banned Chinese companies. However, the name of the company has not been disclosed.
The Government of India took the call to ban 59 China-origin apps, including TikTok, UC Browser, ShareIt among other apps following several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for "stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India".
The ban on the Chinese apps comes in the backdrop of current stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh with the aggressive posture of Chinese troops. The list of apps that have been banned by the Modi government also includes WeChat, Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein.
TikTok's first response after banIn its statement, TikTok said that it was in the process of complying with the 'interim order' and that it had been invited to meet govt stakeholders to respond and submit clarifications. The statement further said that TikTok has democratized the internet by making it available in 14 Indian languages, with hundreds of millions of users, artists, storytellers, educators, and performers depending on it for their livelihood, many of whom are first-time internet users.
"We have been invited to meet concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government," the statement reads.
"Further we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity," it added.
The press note issued on Monday states,
"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 users’ data in an unauthorized 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 measure."
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