New Delhi (CNN Business) One of China's biggest social media companies has run into trouble in India.

TikTok, a video-sharing app with more than half a billion users worldwide, has been blocked after a court ruled it could expose children to inappropriate content.

The app, which is hugely popular among teenagers,was unavailable to download fromandon Wednesday. The companies removed it from their app stores late Tuesday, people familiar with the matter told CNN Business.

The move does not affect tens of millions of existing users in India but it could become a huge setback for TikTok owner Bytedance if it prevents further expansion in the fastest growing market in the world.

The Indian government reportedly asked Apple and Googleto block TikTok after a high court in Madras, southern India, ruled on April 3 that it could expose children to sexual predators, pornographic content and cyberbullying.

India's technology ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Google said the company does not comment on individual apps, while Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

TikTok has appealed the ruling and a court hearing has been scheduled for next week.

"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," the Chinese company said in a statement to CNN Business.

The video-sharing app has become hugely popular in India in recent months. The country now accounts for almost a quarter of TikTok's global user base.

Facebook FB Twitter TWTR But it's the latest casualty of increasing government scrutiny of social media in India., WhatsApp andare facing questions over misinformation and inappropriate content as the country votes in its huge national election.

Any restrictions in India are a huge blow to tech companies and platforms. The country has 500 million people online, and a further 800 million potential users.</s>TikTok has been in the news headlines in India from last few weeks and after the legal tussle, the country has banned the downloading of the Chinese video-sharing app. Yes, you heard it correct, now you won't be able to see TikTok on Apple's App Store and on Google Play Store any more.

On April 16, MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) asked Google and Apple to remove the TikTok app from their app stores. On April 17 (today) the companies have obeyed the orders and remove the app.

TikTok is one of the most famous apps in India which allow users to make videos and share it on social media. The company found itself in a legal tussle when Madras High Court on April 4, asked central to put a ban on the app on the grounds of encouraging pornography.

At the starting of this week, the Supreme Court of India refuses the orders of Madras High Court to put a ban on imposing a ban on the TikTok app. Just in case if you don't know, the US federal trade commission (FTC) fined the app with $5.7 million which is approx Rs 40 Crores back in February this year. The US fined the app on the allegations of child privacy law violations.

Though the app is removed from the app stores of both iOS and Android platforms, it doesn't mean people in India can't use the app. The existing users of the app can still use it and share videos on their social media accounts. They can also share the app via soo many sharing apps like Share it, WiFi transfer and more.

This means there is no point of banning or removing the app from apps stores. If India really wants to prevent the current generation from getting addicted to the app then they should ban the app completely from the servers which will restrict the usage of the app.</s>Apple and Google have both pulled the popular TikTok app from their respective app stores in India in order to comply with a ban on the app in the country, reports Reuters . TikTok is the latest hot social media app that allows users to shoot and upload short video clips with special effects.

Early this month, an Indian court asked the federal government to ban the app after it said the app encouraged pornography. The Indian government then sent letters to Google and Apple requesting its removal for their app stores. On Tuesday, TikTok disappeared from the Google Play store, and now today TikTok has disappeared from the Apple App Store.

TikTok has yet to publicly comment on the removal of its app in India. The app currently has 240 million downloads in the country with 30 million people downloading the app in India in January alone.</s>Tech giants Google and Apple have removed TikTok from their app stores after the Supreme Court refused to stay Madras high court order asking the Centre to prohibit the download of the Chinese social media platform.

A search for video sharing platform TikTok on Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store did not show the app.

The government, on Monday, had asked tech giants Google and Apple to comply with the Madras high court's order that had banned popular mobile app TikTok, according to sources.

The two companies did not respond to e-mails seeking their views.

While users may not be able to download TikTok from the app stores going forward, people who have already downloaded it will be able to continue using the app on their phones.

"Any existing user of TikTok, who has the app installed on the smartphone can share it with any seeker through apps like ShareIt. Once the app is shared, the user can install the app and become a new user," research firm techARC founder and Chief Analyst Faisal Kawoosa said.

He added that there is a need for a "holistic approach" to get rid of such increasing digital menace, which cannot be absolved by technology and/or legal recourse alone.

The Madras high court, on April 3, had directed the Centre to ban TikTok app. In its order, the Madras HC had said it was evident from media reports that pornography and inappropriate content were made available through such mobile applications.

It had also directed the media not to telecast video clips made with TikTok.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is popular among youngsters in the country. It allows users to create short videos and then share them.

In a statement on Tuesday, TikTok said it has faith in the Indian judicial system.

"We are optimistic about an outcome that would allow over 120 million monthly active users in India to continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives," it said.</s>TikTok, the popular video creating and sharing app has been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India. This comes after a ban on downloading of the app by Madhurai bench of the Madras High Court, which had ordered the central government to ensure this. ByteDance, the company which owns TikTok, had even approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the ban, but the top court had refused to intervene and said it would listen to the matter on April 22.

On April 16, the Madhurai bench of the High Court appointed Senior Advocate Arvind P Datar as amicus curiae in the matter to assist the court and said it would hear the petition on April 24 for further hearing. The original order of the court was issued on April 3.

The petition was filed to ban TikTok on the grounds that the social network platform was “degrading culture and encouraging pornography besides containing explicit disturbing content and causing social stigma and medical health issue between teens.”

The petition also talked about how the app was harming children, and even gave instances of how some children had allegedly committed suicide because of the app. The petition claimed children who used the app were vulnerable as it exposed them to sexual predators and alleged that the app was violating privacy of users, including these children.

On April 3, Justice N Kirubakaran and SS Sundar of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court passed an interim order based on this petition, prohibiting the download and use of the video-sharing app TikTok, citing inappropriate content– including pornography and accessibility to children as the primary reasons.

It also directed the government to prohibit the downloading of the app and also prohibited media from telecasting videos made using the TikTok platform. The court also asked the government to answer whether it will enact a statute like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of the US to prevent the children from becoming cyber/online victims.

TikTok approached the Supreme Court (SC) asking for the order to be set aside. In its petition ByteDance, the Chinese publisher behind TikTok argued before the SC that the High Court’s ex-parte order is arbitrary and illegal and if the ban is not lifted, it would cause irreparable loss to the company and give a significant advantage to their competitors.

TikTok also argued that its platform is only an intermediary and cannot be held liable for the actions of third-party users on the platform, arguing for safe harbour under the IT ACT intermediaries rules. It added that the company is in compliance with the law and that it could have been directed to monitor problematic content instead of banning the entire platform. It also said that a very minuscule proportion of TikTok content was considered inappropriate or obscene.

Supreme Court order and centre’s direction to Google and Apple

The Supreme Court refused to stay the High Court saying that it is an interim order and the case is already listed before the court for a hearing on April 16. The bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna directed the Madras High Court to consider the objections against the ex-parte ban and has listed the SLP (special leave petition) for further consideration on April 22, taking into account the nature of action taken by the High Court in its April 16 hearing.

It was reported that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)on Monday had asked Google and Apple to block the app following the Supreme Court’s refusal to stay the original Madras HC court directive on April 3.

The Madras High Court refused to stay its ban on the download of video-sharing mobile app TikTok on Tuesday. However, the bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice SS Sundar has directed the appointment of senior advocate Arvind Datar as independent counsel in the case to examine the implications of the app. The next hearing date is April 24.

In a statement, Bytedance said, “We welcome the decision of the Madras High Court to appoint Arvind Datar as Amicus Curiae (independent counsel) to the court. We have faith in the Indian judicial system and we are optimistic about an outcome that would allow over 120 million monthly active users in India to continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives.”

Google and Apple appear to have taken down the Chinese short-video mobile application TikTok from their app stores, both the companies have blocked the app from their respective app stores. A Google spokesperson told news agency IANS, “As a policy, we don’t comment on individual apps but adhere to the law in countries we operate in.”

TikTok in India: What lies ahead, what the users do, other apps

People who have already installed TikTok on their mobiles can still use the app. While the Madras High Court will hear the case on April 24, the Supreme Court will consider TikTok’s appeal to lift the ex-parte ban on April 22.

Also read | TikTok ban in India: Here’s how to monitor your child’s online activity to ensure safety

While the app has been removed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, but Android users might still have their way around the download by sideloading the app. Third-party Android app stores like 9apps have TikTok listed on their portal as well. According to 2018 data, TikTok has a user base of 500 million of which 39 per cent are from India. Interestingly, in its statement on the latest HC order, TikTok revealed that it has 120 million monthly active users in India.</s>The Chinese video app TikTok is no longer available in Google and Apple app stores in India after a state court prohibited its downloads, a setback for developer Bytedance Technology’s efforts to tap users in a key market.

TikTok, which allows users to create and share short videos with special effects, is hugely popular in India but some politicians say its content is inappropriate.

A court in southern Tamil Nadu state asked the federal government on April 3 to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and warning that sexual predators could target child users.

The federal government sent a letter requesting Apple and Google to abide by the state court’s order, according to an IT ministry official.

Google blocked access to TikTok in its Play store in India to comply with the court’s directive, a person with direct knowledge told Reuters on Tuesday. The app was not available in Apple’s app store on Wednesday.

Google said in a statement it does not comment on individual apps but adheres to local laws. Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for TikTok in India declined to comment on the app’s removal, saying the matter was still in the courts.

The company had faith in the judicial system and was “optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by” its millions of users in India, he added.

TikTok had been downloaded more than 240 million times in India, app analytics firm Sensor Tower said in February. More than 30 million users installed the app in January 2019, 12 times more than in the same month last year.

Jokes, clips and footage related to India’s thriving movie industry dominate the app’s platform, along with memes and videos in which youngsters, some scantily clad, lip-sync and dance to popular music.

Bytedance challenged the state court’s ban order in India’s Supreme Court last week, saying it went against freedom of speech rights in India.

The top court had referred the case back to the state court, where a judge on Tuesday rejected Bytedance’s request to put the ban order on hold, K. Neelamegam, a lawyer arguing against Bytedance in the case, said.

The state court has requested written submissions from Bytedance in the case and has scheduled its next hearing for April 24.

Salman Waris, a technology lawyer at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, said the legal action against Bytedance could set a precedent of Indian courts intervening to regulate content on social media and other digital platforms.

In its Supreme Court filing, Bytedance argued that a “very minuscule” proportion of TikTok content was considered inappropriate or obscene.

The company employs more than 250 people in India and had plans for more investment as it expands the business, it said.</s>Government asks Apple & Google to take down TikTok from app stores

Bengaluru, Apr 16: Google and Apple have been asked by the government to take down popular Chinese short-video mobile application TikTok from their app stores. The order by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) reportedly comes just a day after the Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay an earlier order by the Madras High Court to ban the app.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on April 3 passed an order directing the government to prohibit downloading of TikTok in the country. The matter was then taken to the Supreme Court, which refused to stay the order on the grounds that the matter was still sub-judice and that it would hear the matter on 22 April.

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TikTok has come under heavy fire in India in recent months after reports surfaced earlier this year that the app was being used by the youth to mock and troll politicians and policemen. More recently, the app has been criticised for spreading pornographic and inappropriate content. The Madras HC has labeled the app "inappropriate for children" and has even prohibited media companies from telecasting videos posted on the app.

Last week, TikTok owner ByteDance said that it had removed over 6 million videos that violated its terms of use and community guidelines. The company, however, maintains that it cannot be held accountable for content that third parties upload on the app. It has appealed stay against the ban, claiming it would cause irreparable damage to the company and that it would harm free speech in India.

"We are committed to continuously enhancing our existing measures and introducing additional technical and moderation processes as part of our ongoing commitment to our users in India," TikTok said in emailed statement.

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TikTok has been one of the most downloaded apps over the past few quarters with a large portion of new users coming out of India.

According to market analysis firm Sensor Tower, India accounted for 88.6 million new users out of a total of 188 new users in the March quarter.</s>Indian officials have been scrambling to stop people from using TikTok in the country, so they can control porn and political trolling.

The calls for banning TikTok have come amidst growing concerns over sexually explicit content being shared on the app, as well as its use for criticizing legislators and law enforcement. (India has a long tradition of attempting to ban porn.) In February, M. Manikandan, the information technology minister of the Indian state Tamil Nadu, began pushing for a TikTok ban in the state of Tamil Nadu after state legislator Thamimun Ansari reportedly said the popularity of TikTok among youth was driving cultural degeneration.

Government concern about TikTok has only grown since then. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which regulated digital communications, ordered Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their stores. The agency was responding to a request from the Tamil Nadu High Court of Madras, which conducted an investigation and determined that TikTok was fostering the spread of porn and other illicit content, according to TechCrunch.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court refused to stay an earlier order from the Madras High Court to ban TikTok. But that was an interim order, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The Supreme Court is still deliberating Madras High Court order to ban TikTok, and a Supreme Court bench is expected to hear the case April 22.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s request to Apple and Google to remove the app would prevent any further downloads, but it would not prevent current TikTok users from using the app.

TechCruch reports that the app was still up on both Google’s and Apple’s stores in India, as of Tuesday morning U.S. time.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a Gizmodo request for comment, but in a statement shared with TechCrunch, TikTok said, “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.”



Apple and Google did not immediately respond to a Gizmodo request for comment.

If any action is taken it would be a major blow to TikTok’s growth. A report from the app analytic firm SensorTower issued last week showed that TikTok gained 188 million new users last quarter, with the largest growth coming from India, which had 88.6 million new users.

Despite the growing movement within India’s government to censor a hugely popular music-based short-video app—the country still hasn’t made much headway in regulating WhatsApp, which has repeatedly been linked to dangerous misinformation and mob violence.</s>The government of India has asked both Google and Apple to pull down TikTok from their app stores. The order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) comes a day after the Supreme Court (SC) “refused to stay the Madras High Court order asking the Centre to ban the viral app.

The SC is still deliberating on the Madras HC order that is looking to ban the popular short video-sharing app and the Meity order is looking to prevent further downloads of the app. The order does not, however, prevent those who already have the app from using it.

A person “familiar” with the matter told Economic Times that “The High Court asked the government to prohibit download of TikTok application. It (Meity) is ensuring that by asking Google and Apple to delete it from the app stores. Now it is up to the companies to do it or appeal the order.”

TikTok has been facing a lot of heavy criticism lately after reports surfaced, earlier this year, about the app being used to troll politicians and the police. Now, TikTok has been criticised for “spreading pornographic and inappropriate content”. Madras HC has ‘labelled’ the app as “inappropriate for children” and has also prohibited media houses from telecasting videos posted on it.

ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, claimed to have removed six million videos last week that violated the terms of use and community guidelines. However, ByteDance maintained that “it cannot be held accountable for content that third parties upload on the app”. The company has appealed for a stay against the ban, “claiming it would cause irreparable damage to the company and that it would harm free speech in India”.

In an email statement TikTok said - “We are committed to continuously enhancing our existing measures and introducing additional technical and moderation processes as part of our ongoing commitment to our users in India”.

TikTok has been one of most downloaded apps “over the past few quarters” and a large number of the new users are from India. According to a “market analysis firm Sensor Tower, India accounted for 88.6 million new users out of a total of 188 million new users in the March quarter”.

Apple and Google are yet to state how they are going to deal with the government order.</s>Google and Apple have been asked by the MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) to take down the video-sharing app from their app stores. The development comes after the Supreme Court rejected the Madras High Court plea to ban the download of the app from April 3. So now it has been official that the app is going to be ban in India.

A couple of weeks back Madras High Court passed an order seeking the government to ban the downloading of TikTok app. Later the matter was bought to the Supreme Court, where it was rejected by the next hearing was scheduled on Aril 22.

"As per the proceedings in the Supreme Court today, the Madras High Court will hear the matter on ex parte ad interim order. The Supreme Court has listed the matter again for April 22, 2019, to be apprised of the outcome of the hearing on the April 16th, 2019 before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court. At TikTok, we have faith in the Indian Judicial system and the stipulations afforded to social media platforms by the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011," Economic Times quoted the company.

The order form MeitY will prevent the downloads of the Chinese video sharing app TikTok. However, people who already have downloaded the app can continue using it on the smartphones. Basically, the usage is not banned only the download is ban.

Earlier today, in a shocking incident a 19-year-old from Delhi was shot dead by his friend while making TikTok video.
Apple Inc. and Google remove TikTok from their app stores in India after a high court in Madras ruled the app could expose children to sexual content and cyberbullying.