TikTok removed from Google, Apple stores, ban may not stop downloads

New Delhi: With the Supreme Court refusing to revoke the Madras High Court order early this month to ban social media platform TikTok for encouraging pornography, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has directed Google and Apple to remove the social media app from their respective app stores in a bid to save you additional downloads.

Following the Madras High Court’s order, TikTok had reached out tothe  Supreme Court for a review at the charge; however, the appeal was rejected on 15 April because the problem became subjudice.

Both TikTok and its Lite variation, which was recently released for customers with access to Android telephones in India, are no longer listed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. However, the apps can nonetheless be downloaded from internet-based third-party app shops like Apk Mirror and Apkpure.

A TikTok spokesperson clarified that this is not an everlasting ban and could not impact current users. “We welcome the choice of the Madras High Court to hire Arvind Datar as Amicus Curiae (unbiased suggestion) to the court docket. We have faith in the Indian judicial system, and we are constructive about an outcome,” the spokesperson said.

Launched in India in 2018, TikTok has 120 million active users in India, primarily kids in small towns. It is primarily used to capture and share percentage moments through brief movie clips adorned with amusing stickers and filters. However, the furor over TikTok emerged because it has been accused of encouraging pornography.

That stated, some social media networks like the microblogging platform Twitter also carry brief pornographic videos and pictures for promotion via publishers and performers without facing backlash from the authorities. Some believe the ban is more significantly justified due to the character of the audience. “The decision to ban TikTok makes the experience as it has a much more youthful target market, which incorporates youngsters who are still in school, in contrast to Twitter, which has a more mature audience,” says Shradha Agarwal, COO, Grapes Digital.

However, banning TikTok might not put it beyond the reach of youngsters, feels Pavan Duggal, a foremost cyberlaw expert. He factors out, “Banning the app is completely out of sync with cutting-edge time. Even if the app is banned, humans can nonetheless download it from other resources or with the aid of converting their area. We aren’t experts in the larger challenge of how to deal with the paradigm. The hassle isn’t always with the app; however, 1/3-birthday party content material. Strict action is desired to be taken in opposition to people publishing such content instead of soliciting a blanket ban on apps.”

Also, in the absence of the app from legitimate and trusted resources, customers might turn to internet-based third-party shops, which may be more dangerous as they no longer verify apps for hidden malicious content, as Google and Apple do.