SC directs Madras HC to decide plea of TikTok app on April 24

New Delhi, Apr 22: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Madras High Court to decide on April 24 a plea of TikTok app seeking vacating of its ban order.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said if the Madras High Court fails to decided on the plea of TikTok app then its ban order will stand vacated.

The apex court had earlier refused to stay the Madras High Court order that directed the Centre to ban the "Tiktok" app over concerns about access to pornographic content through it.

The Madras High Court had passed an order to prohibit the download and use of TikTok. The Madurai bench of the High Court passed the order after expressing concern that the app hosts inappropriate content, including pornography, which is available for access to children. The bench had also expressed its concern that minors are also exposed to strangers online through TikTok.

"Majority of the teens are playing pranks, gaffing around with duet videos sharing with split screen to the strangers. The children who use the said application are vulnerable and may expose them to sexual predators .... Without understanding the dangers involved in these kinds of Mobile Apps. it is unfortunate that our children are testing with these Apps."

Tik Tok, which was launched in 2019, is a social video app owned by China's Beijing ByteDance Co. It reached the one billion download mark in February. It is a popular app worldwide and was the fourth most downloaded non-game app in 2018.