TikTok’s safety issues reach India as talks of a ban take hold
TikTok may face a ban in India after a High Court ruling in Madras found that it failed to remove online predators.
TikTok could face a ban in India
The Madras High Court decision came after the BBC unveiled an investigation into the platform that called its brand and community safety measures into question.
Last week, the Madras High Court asked the government in India to ban the video app, while several right-wing groups and commentators had also weighed in on the subject, according to News 18.
TikTok issued a statement to the press, committing to abiding by local laws and guidelines, adding that it had appointed someone to coordinate with local laws.
The statement read: “At TikTok, we are committed to abiding by local laws and regulations. We fully comply with the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011. We are currently awaiting the official order by the Honourable High Court of Madras and once received, we will review and take appropriate action regarding this matter.
“Maintaining a safe and positive in-app environment at TikTok is our priority. We have robust measures to protect users against misuse, protect their privacy and digital wellbeing. This includes easy reporting mechanisms that enable users and law enforcement to report content that violates our terms of use and comprehensive community guidelines. In order to better coordinate with law enforcement agencies, we have appointed a chief nodal officer based out of India."
The company has already been hit with a $5.7m fine in the US after it was found to have illegally gathered the details of users under the age of 13.