TikTok ban imminent? Government has reportedly asked Google and Apple to take down the app

According to a new report, the government has asked tech companies like Google and Apple to take down the TikTok app from their respective app stores after the Supreme Court refused to stay the Madras HC order that directed the Centre to ban the app over concerns about access to pornographic content through it

India’s Supreme Court said that ban directive was just an interim order and the high court is scheduled to hear the matter on April 16. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna has kept the issue open for further hearing on April 22.

Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi who is representing ByteDance said there were over billion downloads of TikTok and an ex-parte order were passed by Madras High Court's Madurai bench. Singhvi said the Madras High Court court passed the order without hearing them.

"We are not closing the issue. Let the high court hear the matter," the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on April 22.

READ | TikTok ban will hurt free speech rights, China’s ByteDance tells Supreme Court of India

Earlier this month, the Madras High Court directed the center to impose a  ban on over the concerns of "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such apps. TikTik allows users to lip-sync short video clips and share with their friends.

The interim order by Madras High Court came following public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that TikTok encouraged paedophiles and the content "degraded culture and encouraged pornography".

READ | TikTok has removed more than 60 lakh videos for violating community guidelines in India

Last week, ByteDance said it has removed more than 60 lakh videos in India for violating TikTok's community guidelines since July 2018.

"This is part of TikTok's ongoing efforts to make its millions of users feel safe and comfortable within the community by empowering them with the right tools and resources," the company said in a statement.

READ | 19-year-old shot dead while filming TikTok video, three arrested

Recently, a 19-year-old young man was shot dead by his friend in Delhi while posing with a pistol to film a video on TikTok. The incident took place near Ranjit Singh Flyover in central Delhi on Saturday.

(With inputs from PTI)