Apple, Google asked to take down TikTok app

BENGALURU: Indian government has asked Google and Apple to take down popular Chinese short-video mobile application TikTok, said a report by Economic Times reported on Tuesday.

The tech giants were asked to take down TikTok from its app stores by Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology following the refusal of Supreme Court on Monday to put a stay of Madras High Court’s order to ban the app.

The move is likely to restrict further downloads of the app, but people who have already downloaded it will be able to continue using it on their smartphones, ET quoted people familiar with the development.

Read More: Boy dies as friend’s pistol goes off while filming TikTok video

“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,” said one of the people.

The development came when a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi posted the matter for hearing to April 22 as the Madras High Court is expected to hear the case on April 16.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had passed an order on April 3 to prohibit downloads of TikTok application in the country besides barring media companies from telecasting its videos.

Read More: ‘Ban on TikTok would harm free speech’

The owner of app, ByteDance, had moved to the Indian Supreme Court last week against the high court’s verdict, seeking a stay against the ban as it was causing ‘irreparable damage to the company.

ByteDance counsel had argued that it cannot be held liable for actions of third parties on the platform. The app was like any other social media platform, it said, adding that singling out TikTok was discriminatory and arbitrary.

TikTok is a social media app for short-form mobile videos launched in China in September 2016 as ‘Douyin’ and one year later, it was introduced to globally as ‘TikTok’.

Death while filming TikTok video

A juvenile allegedly shot dead by his friend as he pointed a pistol towards him while making a video on mobile application TikTok, it had emerged on April 16.

The incident took place in New Delhi when Salman Zakir and his friends, Sohail and Amir, after were returning home after visiting India Gate.

Salman was driving the car, while Sohail was sitting next to him and Amir was in the rear seat. Sohail aimed the pistol at Salman to make the video, but the weapon discharged shooting Salman on his cheek.

Both the friends freaked out and drove the car to Sohail’s relatives’. Then they took the 19-year-old victim to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Upon hearing this, they left the hospital and the hospital authorities later informed the police.

The two friends were arrested: one for firing the bullet and the other for disposing the weapon. Barakhamba Police Station has lodged a murder case and a case under Arms Act. Police said they were probing whether the bullet was fired deliberately or inadvertently.