Why Madras HC has Lifted the Ban on TikTok App?

The decision of Madras High Court’s Madurai bench has been a relief for Beijing-based developer Bytedance Technology Co. Now, the court has lifted the ban on its popular video app TikTok. 

But it is to be noted, that this ban has been lifted with the condition that the platform should not be used to host obscene videos. A bench of judges N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar has heard the matter as per the orders of the Supreme Court. They warned if any controversial video violating its condition was found uploaded using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court. 

Earlier, the Madras High Court had ordered the government to prohibit TikTok downloads, and said that the app was encouraging pornography. 

Soon after the court’s judgment, the company released a press statement: “We are glad about this decision and we believe it is also greatly welcomed by our thriving community in India, who use TikTok as a platform to showcase their creativity. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our users better. While we’re pleased that our effort to fight against misuse of the platform has been recognised, the work is never “done” on our end. We are committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India.” 

Interestingly, TikTok has more than 120 million active users in India, which is one of its largest markets. The petition filed in the high court called for a ban on the app. It said that it put the lives of children in danger and exposed them to paedophiles.  

However, India is not the only country where TikTok was banned. It was also banned for a few days in Indonesia last year because the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology thought some of the videos were negative and had a bad influence on the youth. 

Though, the ban was lifted within a week, as the company announced it would set up a team of censors to monitor inappropriate content.