The government has asked tech giants Google and Apple to comply with the Madras High Court’s order that had banned popular Chinese short video-sharing mobile app TikTok that has been downloaded over 230 million times in the country.
TikTok no longer available on Google and Apple stores
Following the request from the government to ban the access to this app, Google and Apple have blocked the download of TikTok from Play Store and App Store respectively in India.
Sources said that instructions were sent to the two American companies on Monday in this regard after the Supreme Court refused to stay the April 3 order of Madras High Court that had directed the Centre to ban Tiktok app over concerns about access to pornographic content through it. Expressing concern over the “pornographic and inappropriate” contents of the TikTok, the High Court had, on April 3, directed the Centre to ban the app
The state court has requested written submissions from Bytedance in the case and has scheduled its next hearing for April 24.
A Google spokesperson told IANS: “As a policy, we don’t comment on individual apps but adhere to the law in countries we operate in.”
The app, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, allows users to create short videos and then share them. With over 54 million users every month, TikTok allows its users to create and share videos and these may have inappropriate content.
The app was still available on Apple’s platforms late on Tuesday but was no longer available on Google’s Play store in India. Apple shortly removed TikTok from the App Store in India.
Google said in a statement it does not comment on individual apps but adheres to local laws. Apple did not respond to requests for comment, while TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Google’s move.
TikTok said in a statement that the company has faith in the Indian judicial system. A TikTok spokesperson said, “We are optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by over 120 million monthly active users in India, who continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives”.
Google is said to block TikTok in India, hurting Chinese startup
The rise of Chinese short video-sharing app TikTok has been so spectacular over the past year in India that it is now nearly impossible for any social media user to not have come across its content. These user-created videos that often contain memes, lip-syncing songs and sometimes sleazy posts can be regularly seen on other popular social media sites including Facebook, WhatsApp and ShareChat and these are the platforms where TikTok is getting its most publicity.
