TikTok ban controversy: Supreme Court to hear plea challenging Madras High Court order on April 15

Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a plea challenging a Madras High Court order that directed government to ban TikTok app for "encouraging porgraphy." Supreme Court will hear plea next week, on April 15.

A bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna and Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi agreed to hear plea filed China's ByteDance, which said TikTok has over a billion downloads and Madurai bench of Madras High Court had passed an ex-parte order.

On Monday, apex court had refused urgent hearing of plea. 

Last week, Madras High Court directed centre to impose a nationwide ban on TikTok as court raised concern over "porgraphic and inappropriate content" being made available through such apps.

READ | Madras High Court asks government to ban TikTok for “encouraging porgraphy”

order came weeks after Tamil Nadu IT minister M Manikandan said that state will seek centre’s help to impose a ban on video-sharing platform that reportedly misleads children and youth.

It had also directed media t to telecast video clips made with TikTok. Owned and operated by China's ByteDance, TiKTok allows users to create short videos and n share those videos with ir friends and followers on social media.

Earlier, TikTok agreed to pay $5.7 million fine to Federal Trade Commission in a settlement over allegations of violating Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

court had asked government if it would enact a statute on line of COPPA in US and posted matter for furr hearing on April 16.

READ | TikTok ban imminent? What is TikTok ban controversy in India?

Madras HC came following Public interest litigation( PIL) alleging that TikTok encourd paedophiles and contents were very disturbing.

In spite of havoc caused by Blue whale online game, which reportedly led to multiple suicides, officials have t learnt that y should be alert to se types of problems, high court said.

Only when officials and policymakers were able to act on problems of society, decision could be taken to block se kinds of apps, court had said.

TikTok is already banned in countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh.

(WIth PTI inputs)