Chennai: The Madras high court on Wednesday lifted the ban on TikTok, the popular China-based mobile application that allows users to create short videos. On April 3, the court had banned the app based on concerns of pornographic content.

According to Bar and Bench Twitter page, the high court said that it is only concerned about the crimes against the children. The bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice SS Sundar vacated its interim order banning the app.

 

Earlier, the Madras high court had directed the Centre to ban the TikTok application from download on Google Play Store and Apple Store. But, on April 16, it had refused to vacate the order banning the app.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, on April 15, refused to stay the ban and posted the hearing on April 22 and ordered the Madras high court to pass a verdict by April 24. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that if the high court does not give its judgment by April 24, it will vacate the ban on the app.

The China-based app had filed a plea in the top court on the Madras high court’s decision to ban the app and remove the app by Apple Store and Google Play Store.

On Wednesday, TikTok clarified that it is only a mediator under the Information Technology Act, 2000, in which the users generate and post video content. Amicus curiae Arvind Datar explained to the court that the IT Act does not restrain the intermediary from screening all information being hosted on their portal.

The company reportedly stated that the actions ordered against it are selective as the problems it faces are also faced by other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.