TikTok Banned in India – Google and Apple Stores Take Down the App

The popular video sharing app TikTok has been banned by the Indian Government and both Apple and Google Play stores have taken down the app from their platforms in India. The measure was taken to comply with the April 3 ruling of Chennai High Court that took the decision based on an activist group’s petition.

The petitioner claimed that the video sharing app was being misused for pornography and pedophiles could also target young users of the app. On the back of growing concerns in the country where 120 million people are users of TikTok, the Indian Government directed Apple and Google to block the app in the country.

The decision was then challenged in the Supreme Court which refused to grant a stay on the earlier verdict and set up a hearing on April 22 for the matter.

In a statement to The Guardian, 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.”

Earlier, TikTok was also banned in Bangladesh and had to pay a hefty fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children. This comes off as another major blow to the app which boosts around 500 million users worldwide.