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Technology

on Wednesday the plea for vacating its in India, that is how bullish we will re- able through such mobile applications.
earlier ban order. It had also said if the main to be here”, PTI quoted ByteDance Soon after, tech giants Google and Apple
Madurai bench does not decide the plea Director (International Public Policy) removed TikTok from their app stores in
for interim relief on Wednesday, the ban Helena Lersch as saying. India to prohibit further downloads of
order will stand vacated. PTI Lersch added that the company has the application.
In a separate development, a 20-year- been strengthening its content modera- However, those who have already
old college student from Andhra Pradesh tion policies over the last months. The downloaded the app will be able to use it
was arrested on April 24 in Hyderabad content moderation team in India, which on their phones. Lersch declined to com-
for posting a video on TikTok app, in looks at the posts passed by a machine ment on court proceedings as the matter
which he is seen “abusing and defam- learning tool, is proficient in 14 local lan- is sub judice. The hearing of the mat-
ing” Telangana Chief Minister K Chan- guages and can make culturally relevant ter is scheduled for April 22, 2019, in the
drasekhar Rao and the people of the decision, she added. Supreme Court and for April 24, 2019, in
state, police said. The accused had on “About 25 per cent of that (workforce the Madras High Court.
April 14 logged into TikTok app and of 1,000 employees) will be just content Tech giants Google and Apple have
uploaded the video with “highly de- moderation, which means there is full- already removed TikTok from their
rogatory” remarks against Rao and the time moderation staff based in India... app stores after the Supreme Court
people of Telangana, which had gone We have around 250 full-time staff (right had refused to stay Madras High Court
viral, they said. order asking the Centre to prohibit the
Based on a complaint from Telangana download of the Chinese social media
Rasthra Samithi Vidhyarthi Vibhagam On April 3, the court platform.
leader V Ram Narsimha Goud, a case A search for video-sharing plat-
was registered on April 20 under Section had directed the form TikTok on Google’s Play Store and
153A (promoting enmity among people Centre to ban TikTok, Apple’s App Store did not show the app.
on grounds of religion) of the IPC and rel- The government had asked Google and
evant sections of the Information Tech- which is used to Apple to comply with the HC order that
nology Act. Following investigation, the create short videos, had banned popular mobile app TikTok,
accused was arrested, they added. according to sources.
The complainant had stated that such as it voiced concern “Any existing user of TikTok who has
videos would hurt the personal feelings over ‘pornographic the app installed on the smartphone can
of the people of Telangana. Rachakonda share it with any seeker through apps
Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhag- and inappropriate like ShareIt. Once the app is shared, the
wath said the case was registered for user can install the app and become a
promoting enmity between the people content’ being made new user,” said research firm techARC
of two Telugu-speaking states by making available through founder and Chief Analyst Faisal
a video with “highly derogatory” com- Kawoosa. He added that there is a need
ments against the Chief Minister and the such apps for a “holistic approach” to get rid of such
people of Telangana. Police also seized increasing digital menace, which cannot
two smartphones from the possession of now) but we are very growing that rap- be absolved by technology and/or legal
the accused, they said. idly,” Lersch reportedly said. recourse alone.
TikTok’s parent company Bytedance Founded by Zhang Yiming, Bytedance The HC, on April 3, had directed the
had earlier revealed plans to invest $1 is considered to be one of the world’s Centre to ban TikTok app. In its order,
billion in India over the next three years. most valuable start-ups with investors it had said it was evident from media
The Chinese IT major will reportedly like SoftBank, General Atlantic, KKR and reports that pornography and inap-
increase its workforce in India to 1,000 Sequoia backing it. Apart from the now propriate content were made available
people by the end of this year. Byted- banned TikTok, the company provides through such mobile applications. It had
ance’s plans for India come close on the platforms like Vigo Video and Helo In also directed the media not to telecast
heels of a court-imposed ban on TikTok India for content creation and sharing. video clips made with TikTok. TikTok,
over allegations of sharing inappropriate Leading short video application Tik- which is owned by Chinese company
content. Tok has over 120 million users in India ByteDance, is popular among youngsters
“We are obviously disappointed by the and is popular among youngsters. in the country. It allows users to create
current developments, but we are also The Madras High Court on April 3, short videos and then share them. In a
very optimistic that we will resolve this 2019, had directed the Centre to ban Tik- statement, TikTok said it has faith in the
issue. We remain committed to our Indi- Tok, saying it was evident from media Indian judicial system.
an users. As a company, we are looking to reports that pornography and inap-
invest $1 billion over the next three years propriate content were made avail- letters@tehelka.com

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