The move came after India this month decided to retain its
ban on TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps following responses from the companies
on issues such as compliance and privacy.
The ban dates from last year when political tension between
the neighbours rose over their disputed border.
"We initially hoped that this situation would be
short-lived...we find that has not been the case," ByteDance wrote in the
memo which was seen by Reuters.
"We simply cannot responsibly stay fully staffed while
our apps remain un-operational...we don't know when we will make a comeback in
India"
In a statement, the company said it was disappointing that
despite its efforts it had not received a clear direction on how and when its
apps could be reinstated. It did not specify how many employees would lose
their jobs.
Before the ban, India had been one of TikTok's largest
markets and ByteDance in 2019 had laid out plans to invest $1 billion in India.
At the time of last year's ban, the Indian government
described the apps as prejudicial to the "sovereignty and integrity of
India". The move followed a skirmish with Chinese troops at a disputed
Himalayan border site that killed 20 Indian soldiers.
In the United States, the previous Trump administration
ordered ByteDance to divest TikTok citing national security concerns, and
sought to impose restrictions that would have effectively barred its use.
TikTok has also come under scrutiny in Australia for any
risks it may pose to users from around potential foreign interference and data
privacy issues.
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