The Indian government has asked Google and Apple to take down popular Chinese video application TikTok, local media reports said.
According to The Economic Times report, the tech giants were asked to remove the mobile application from their App Stores (Google Play Store) and (App Store) on Tuesday following the Supreme Court’s order.
The Indian top court turned down an application seeking a stay order on Madras High Court’s (MHC) verdict that banned further downloading of the viral Chinese app. It also asked the government to take necessary steps in this regard.
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No Restrictions on Those Who Currently Have the App
But, the move doesn’t precisely place a ban on the short-video application. The order only restricts further downloads of TikTok, but those who already have it, will continue using the app, the Economic Times report suggested.
The court believes that TIkTok is being used to spread obscenity in society.
Note that the viral video application has a global user base of over one billion, with 50 million users from India alone.
“The High Court asked the government to prohibit downloads of TikTok application. It is ensuring that by asking Google and Apple to delete it from the app stores. Now it is up to the companies to do it or appeal the order,” according to people who are familiar with the development.
The orders came from a full bench, with Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in the chair, who posted the case for further hearing to April 22, as the Madras High Court is hearing it today.
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Dissatisfied with the MHC’s order, the TikTok’s owner ByteDance had moved the apex court in search for a stay order on the verdict, saying that was causing ‘irreparable damage to the company.’
ByteDance’s counsel argued before the court that TikTok was one of the many social media applications aimed at entertaining people and that singling out TikTok was discriminatory and arbitrary.
