Google blocks TikTok downloads in India over pornography concerns

Today, Google blocked TikTok downloads from its Google Play store in India, and Apple has been asked to do the same. The move comes after India's federal government sent a letter to the companies requesting that they abide by a state court's decision to ban the popular video app. India's concern is that TikTok encourages pornography and makes child users vulnerable to sexual predators, Reuters reports.

India is one of TikTok's largest markets. The app has reportedly been downloaded more than 240 million times in India alone, and in a statement, TikTok India says it has more than 120 million monthly active users. Those users will not be impacted by the removal of the app from the Google Play store.

TikTok has been a huge success, but like other social media platforms, it's struggling to curb the spread of toxic content. Earlier this year, the US Federal Trade Commission fined the company$5.7 million over child privacy violations. When TikTok attempted to right those wrongs, it ended up mistakenly deletingusers' accounts. And China has called for short-form video apps like TikTok to be responsible for the content their users upload.

In response to the concerns raised in India, TikTok has removed more than six million videos that violated its terms of use and community guidelines. But as TechCrunch reports, that might do more to show the scope of the problem than it does to prove TikTok has addressed the underlying issue. At this point, it's unclear if Apple will block TikTok downloads or what the company will have to do to get back in India's good graces. What we do know is that TikTok, like its peers, will have to find a way to monitor the content it shares.

TikTok India shared the following statement with local press:"

"We welcome the decision of the Madras High Court to appoint Arvind Datar as Amicus Curae (independent counsel) to the court. We have faith in the Indian judicial system and we are optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by over 120 million monthly active users in India, who continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives." 

An Indian state court moved to lift a nationwide ban on the popular short-form video app TikTok. A nearly week-long ban in India on the app is now reversed, lawyers involved in the case told Reuterson Wednesday. Google and Appleremoved the app from its stores in India last week after a high court in Tamil Nadu called for its removal, saying it was exposing children to sexual predators and pornography.
The ban in India was a major setback for TikTok, due to India being its largest user base with nearly 300 million users. ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, estimated in a court filing that the ban was losing the company nearly $500,000 a day

A TikTok spokesman applauded the court's decision in a 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."

TikTok sparked controversy in India late last year when a 24-year old user committed suicide after being bullied on the app. Indian officials and parents argued that the app was exposing children to pornographic and other harmful types of content. In response, TikTok removed over 6 million videos created in India that violated its content guidelines and introduced an "age-gate" for users to verify that they were at least 13 years old.

This isn't the first sign of trouble for TikTok. The app has a much younger userbase compared to other social media platforms, but doesn't appear to go to any extra lengths to protect their privacy or safety. The FTC ordered the video app to pay $5.7 million in fines to settle charges that it illegally collected the personal data of children. India and the United States now remain the only countries to require TikTok users to verify that they are at least 13 years old. The app is also highly popular amongst teens in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, as well as Russia, Mexico and Pakistan.