Following the court’s order Google has blocked access to the widely popular video app TikTok in India.
According to reports, the move came after Madras High Court refused the request by China’s Bytedance Technology to suspend a ban on its TikTok app, putting its future in one of its key markets in doubt.
Madras HC on April 3rd had asked the government to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and made child users vulnerable to sexual predators. Its ruling came after an individual launched public interest litigation calling for a ban.
The government had sent a letter to Apple and Google to abide by the state court’s order, according to an IT ministry official.
Tech major Google released a statement saying that it does not comment on individual apps but adheres to local laws.
TikTok, which allows users to create and share short videos with special effects, has become hugely popular in India but has been criticised by some politicians who say its content is inappropriate.
It had been downloaded more than 240 million times in India, app analytics firm Sensor Tower said in February. More than 30 million users in India installed it in January 2019, 12 times more than in the same month last year.
This is how Social Media reacted to the ban:
#TikTokban
Finally TikTok is going to ban pic.twitter.com/tGspxCmtr6— Naval (@Naval07683036) April 16, 2019
The actual leaked picture of #TikTok users after the #TikTokban: pic.twitter.com/yvxi19YkEH
— 🔥BITCH_AARI🇮🇳 (@who_is_pc) April 16, 2019
TikTok is banned. If this is not acche din then what is?
— bhaavna arora (@BhaavnaArora) April 17, 2019
#TikTokban
Meanwhile Manjul and all other #TikTok user right now: pic.twitter.com/mjFrtb6MsD— Ã✞Øʍɨȼ🌟 (@Atomic404) April 16, 2019
#TikTokban
Me to GOVT-: "— pic.twitter.com/WUbR3i0Qb8— Rithik D Blaster (Yadav) (@Rithikdb5) April 16, 2019
#TikTokban
Finally TikTok is going to ban
Me to modi jii pic.twitter.com/g9ucnUzJMs— sarcasticZaidu (@khalnayak_4444) April 16, 2019
After officially #TikTokban in India
Vigo video & Like app:- pic.twitter.com/Kj3atfmj5Y
— Ã✞Øʍɨȼ🌟 (@Atomic404) April 16, 2019
#tiktokban
*After realising tiktok is going to be banned in India*
Me: pic.twitter.com/inQEXgKSOV— not a mystery anymore! (@youhtweets10) April 16, 2019
Reaction of every Tik Tok user #TikTokban pic.twitter.com/UrfcCxjkJj
— Pankaj jatrara 🇮🇳 (@JatraraPankaj) April 16, 2019
2 minutes of Silence for the tiktok users who mentioned Actors in their Bio #TikTokban pic.twitter.com/XS9ILwfuUq
— Shiva mani (@shivaa_mani) April 16, 2019