*TikTok crackdown! Govt asks Google, Apple to remove video app*
New Delhi, April 16: Government of India has reportedly asked Google and Apple to remove popular Chinese short-video mobile application TikTok from their app stores. The move by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) came after the Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Madras High Court order to ban the app.
The top court said that ban directive was just an interim order and the high court is scheduled to hear the matter on April 16.
Sources familiar with the matter said Meity’s move will ensure that the app is not downloaded further. However, the people who have already downloaded it can continue to use it.
On Monday, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Bytedance (India), owner of Tik Tok, argued for a stay against the ban, saying that it was causing the company irreparable damage.
In its April 3 order, the Madurai bench of the Madras HC had asked the government to ban the downloading of the app across the country. Calling the app ‘dangerous for children’, the court had observed that it exposes children to pornography, and makes them vulnerable to sexual predators online.
It had also directed the media not to telecast video clips made with TikTok.
The Supreme Court will be hearing the case on April 22.
On April 8, the Supreme Court had rejected an urgent hearing plea by ByteDance (India) against the ban imposed by the Madras High Court. In its petition, ByteDance had said that it cannot be held liable for actions of third parties on the platform. The app was like any other social media platform, it added in its plea.
Last week, TikTok removed over 6 million videos from its platform for violating community guidelines.
TikTok app allows its users to create small lip-sync videos and share it across the platform. It was the third most installed app globally during Q1 across the App Store and Google Play, according to Sensor Tower, a market analysis firm. Its Indian users account for 39% of its 500 million global users. (Agencies)
