It seems like TiKTok app’s dream to dominate India’s burgeoning mobile app market may soon fall like a pack of cards. Barely hours after Supreme Court refused to revoke the ban leveled on TiKTok App by Madras HC, Indian government has reportedly asked Google and Apple to remove the app from their play stores.
Economic Times (ET), after citing unknown sources, claimed that Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has already passed the order to this effect. ET’s report claims that Meity’s order will halt further download of TIkTOK app from play store but people who have already downloaded it can use it without any problem.
However, Techpluto staff found that the controversial video app is still available on Google play store as well as Apple app store for download.
Google and Apple may have refused to take down the app as the case is still sub judice. Supreme Court has scheduled the case for next hearing on April 22 while Madras HC has fixed the next hearing on April 16.
TikTok’s management has so far refused to comment on the Meity’s order.
In its petition filed in the Supreme Court last week, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance said that evoking ban on its popular video sharing app was discriminatory and arbitrary. The company further added that it cannot be held responsible for actions of third parties on its platform.
The entire fiasco over TikTok app started earlier this year when Tamil Nadu (TN) government raised objection over the adult content allegedly prompted by the app. TN government claimed that the app’s purported adult content was adversely affecting teenagers and children and therefore called for an unilateral ban on the app.
ByteDance, which is the world’s most valued startup, can certainly ill afford to lose a lucrative market like India. India is among its fastest growing market and is immensely crucial for its future prospects. ByteDance may probably lose its ‘most valuable startup’ tag if its most popular product faces unilateral ban across India.
TikTok is the first Chinese app that has successfully managed to capture the imagination of Indian masses. While several Chinese mobile makers like Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi have become a rage among Indian consumers, most Chinese apps barring TikTok have surprisingly failed to make a dent in the Indian market. Therefore it will be interesting to see whether TikTok manages to hold down to its newly found lucrative market amid mounting problems.
