The sudden accessibility of TikTok's website in India after a five-year ban has sparked widespread speculation and excitement, but ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has stated that they have not restored access to the platform and continue to comply with the Indian government's directive. The Indian government has also clarified that no order has been issued to lift the ban.

In June 2020, the Indian government banned TikTok along with 58 other Chinese apps, citing concerns over data security and privacy, stating that these apps were "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". This move came against the backdrop of heightened border tensions with China. TikTok had a massive user base in India, with nearly 200 million users as of January 2020.

The recent partial accessibility of the TikTok website led to a flurry of activity on social media, with users sharing their surprise and nostalgia. Memes and jokes flooded platforms like X and Reddit. However, while some users could access the homepage, other sections of the website remained blocked. For instance, clicking on "Newsroom" displayed a message stating, "Our services aren't available in your country or region," and the "Careers" link returned a "503 Service Temporarily Unavailable" message. Users were also unable to log in, watch, or upload videos. The TikTok app also remains unavailable on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

According to a report by TechCrunch, the surprising and sudden access to the website could be due to technical reasons. A similar incident occurred with Ali Express, which was also banned at the same time as TikTok, where the website suddenly became accessible to some users without a VPN.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has stated that reports of TikTok's comeback are "false and misleading". Government sources have affirmed that no unblocking order has been issued for TikTok. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also confirmed that the TikTok website remains blocked on all internet service providers across India.

Despite the lack of official confirmation and the government's denial, the brief window of accessibility has fueled speculation about a potential return of TikTok to India, especially given recent signs of thawing relations between India and China.