After India announced the ban on 59 Chinese applications, it triggered a public opinion rebound. Many Indian big V users who have tens of millions of fans on the social networking platform Tiktok “spit out bitter waters” because the ban has cost them the main source of income. Indian media said the ban was a huge shock for Indians and will ultimately affect the lives of millions of people.
According to a report by India Today and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), of the 59 apps banned by the Indian government, 27 are the most popular Android apps in India in May. One of the most popular is undoubtedly TikTok, which has about 200 million monthly active users in India. This app has soared all the way in the Indian leaderboard and replaced Facebook as the second most downloaded app in 2019.
For some internet celebrities with tens of millions of fans, the ban not only means that their talents are nowhere to be displayed, but also makes them lose their livelihood income source. Gite used to be a lawyer and is now one of the many celebrities in India. She teaches “American English” and provides interpersonal advice and motivational speeches for more than 10 million fans. “When the news came, I was completely unprepared. I mean, this is my life now, and it is my full-time job,” said Gite. “TikTok has changed the lives of many people around me. Advertisers will find a lot of Fan users advertise. Many of my friends use this app as their main source of income.”
There are not a few people who are caught in a dilemma. Popular creator Shivani Kapila became famous on TikTok by creating videos about social issues, and then resigned as a human resources specialist to become a full-time creator. Capilla made money from the videos she made by cooperating with the brand.