Google Complies With SC Order, Bans TikTok From Play Store; Current Users Remain Unaffected 

Following a government directive which stemmed from a Supreme Court (SC) order, Google has banned the controversial short-video app TikTok from its Play Store in India, reports Mint.

The Madras High Court on 4 April had asked the central government to ban the app stating that it was encouraging pornography.

Following this, the app’s owner, China’s Bytedance Ltd. appealed the order in the SC. However the apex court refused the stay the order and subsequently, Indian regulators asked Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Apple Inc. to remove TikTok from their app stores.

While Google has complied with the ban, there is no confirmation from the Apple side. It should be noted that the court ruling restricts only future downloads of the app in India and not existing downloads. That means current users who have the app on the phone will not be affected.

Sexually Explicit

Though jokes, clips and footage account for a significant portion of the TikTok in India, along with memes and videos, videos with scantily-clad young people lip-syncing and dancing to popular music are also increasingly becoming popular.

The Madras High Court while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) against the app, had said that TikTok made young children vulnerable to exposure to sexual predators. According to the court, "inappropriate" content was TikTok's "dangerous aspect" and that "there is a possibility of the children contacting strangers directly.”

Also Read: Indian Content Startups Feel The Heat: China’s Helo, TikTok Gain Traction As SJM Bats For Their Ban