Madras High Court directs Centre to ban Tik Tok mobile app

The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Government to prohibit the download of Tik Tok mobile app as it expressed concern that the app hosts inappropriate content, including pornography, which is available for access to children.

The interim order directing ban on the download of Chinese video sharing mobile application was passed by Justices N Kirubakaran and SS Sundar sitting at Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court 

The bench also directed the media organisations to not telecast the videos made using the Tik Tok app.

"The Government has to answer whether the Union of India will enact a statute, like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, enacted by the United States, to prevent the children becoming cyber/online victims," the court said in its order. 

“Majority of the teens are playing pranks, gaffing around with duet videos sharing with split screen to the strangers. The children who use the said application are vulnerable and may expose them to sexual predators …. Without understanding the dangers involved in these kinds of Mobile Apps., it is unfortunate that our children are testing with these Apps," the court said in its order. 

The order noted that the app has already been banned in Indonesia and Bangladesh due to similar concerns, according to a report in Bar & Bench.

“… nobody can be pranked or shocked or being made as a subject of mockery by any third party and it would amount to violation of the privacy. It is said that Tik Tok App., is mostly played by the teenagers and young people and it has proved to be an addictive one. By becoming addicted to Tik Tok App., and similar Apps., or cyber games, the future of the youngsters and mindset of the children are spoiled,“ it said. 

The court has posted the matter for further hearing on April 16. The petition was filed by a Madurai based senior lawyer cum social activist MuthuKumar who had sought a direction to ban TikTok citing pornography, cultural degradation, child abuse and suicides.

The court remarked that the government should have introduced such measures earlier, especially after the furore caused by the Blue Whale challenge. 

“Even after that [the Blue Whale Challenge], the officials have not learnt that they should be alert with regard to these type of problems. Only when the officials and policy makers are alive to the problems of the society, decision could be taken to prevent this kind of cyber applications," it observed. 

"The people are making cruel humour against innocent third parties. Even Television channels are also telecasting TikTok videos, which are also liable to be prohibited,“ the court remarked.