New Delhi: Observing that inappropriate contents are made available through mobile apps like TikTok, Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday issued an interim direction to the central government, to prohibit downloading of the application. 

It also sought to prohibit media from airing TikTok videos. The development comes nearly two months after Tamil Nadu Information Technology minister M Manikandan said the state government will seek Centre’s help to ban TikTok.

A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice S S Sundar issued the direction, in response to a petition seeking a ban on the app, as it encourages disturbing content and degrades Indian culture. The order said the petitioner had highlighted a “dangerous issue.”

“It is said that Tik Tok App, is mostly played by the teenagers and young people and it has proved to be an addictive one. By becoming addicted to Tik Tok App, and similar Apps. or cyber games, the future of the youngsters and mindset of the children are spoiled,” the court observed in its interim order delivered on Wednesday. 

TikTok is a China-made app with over 104 million users in India.