Govt Questions TikTok, Helo on ‘Illegal’ Activities, Threatens Ban

TikTok had recently suspended accounts from its platform for sharing violent content & Indian govt wants answers.

Created by ByteDance, a Chinese Internet technology company, Tik Tok has gained massive popularity across Asia clocking over 500 million users. 

(Photo Courtesy: TikTok)

The Indian government has issued notices to social media platforms TikTok and Helo, along with a set of 21 questions, threatening to ban these apps if it does not receive appropriate responses, as per official sources quoted in a PTI report.

The company’s responses will be heard on 22 July by representatives from the IT Ministry, hoping to find an amicable solution to the problems at hand.

Both these brands belong to the same parent company, ByteDance, which has been under intense pressure over its policies.

As reported by PTI on 18 July, this action from Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) was followed by a complaint by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) to the prime minister, in which it has been alleged that the platforms are being used for anti-national activities.

According to a Reuters report, the questions listed out by the Indian government towards TikTok are majorly related to its overall content policy and how it creates awareness among children.

This issue has become critical for TikTok, as the platform allows users aged 13 years or above to sign up for creating content that can be shared with millions.

TikTok has already faced punishment for its wrongdoings in the US earlier this year. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle federal allegations that it illegally collected personal information from children.

It was fined for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires kid-oriented websites to get parents' consent before collecting personal information from children.

And another report from Times of India on Friday has detailed a few of the questions which will reportedly be part of the Indian government’s enquiry with TikTok, slated for 22 July next week.

Questions Asked by Indian Govt to TikTok

• While storing data in US and Singapore, not China, could you assure the government that data of Indian users will not be transferred to any other foreign government or third party or any private entity?
  
• TikTok and Helo are alleged to be the hub for anti-national activities, please respond?
• Please explicitly confirm your policy on obscene content and preventive/corrective measures
• List steps taken to create awareness among children and parents to ensure safe use and avoid addictiveness
• What kind of data is being collected in India by TikTok and Helo and where is it being stored?
• Are TikTok and Helo considering storing/processing this data in India?
• Has Helo paid a huge sum for putting 11,000 morphed political ads on other social media platforms
• Does TikTok restrict usage of the app among children?
  

It’s clear that the premise of questions will revolve around user privacy, where the data is stored and how TikTok monitors the content shared on the platform.

However, this isn’t the first time when TikTok has been under the scanner of the Indian government. Similar concerns were mentioned in a letter in March, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM).

Its co-convener Ashwani Mahajan has mentioned that TikTok is known for sharing the details of children and being an open ground for child pornography and “anti-national” activities.

Following the allegations by SJM, ByteDance said that TikTok was committed to maintaining a safe and positive in-app environment for its users in India.

But after going through its terms and conditions, specifically framed for India, it has no mention about kids safety.

The same Ashwani Mahajan in the letter requested PM Modi on Sunday, 14 July to ban TikTok and Helo, claiming that these two Chinese social media applications had become a hub for "anti-national content" and they were "exposing India's youth to being influenced by vested interests".

All these are likely to be part of the hearing and hopefully TikTok will have more than the following to say, to win the judgement in its favour.

In line with our commitment to India, we are investing $1 billion dollars in India over the next three years, with a strategic focus on developing technology infrastructure, establishing local partnerships and supporting initiatives such as the Skill India Program which we are proud to be assisting with already.

TikTok and Helo statement to The Quint

These statements might suffice for the media but the Indian government will be looking for concrete steps from the company, which will go a long way in keeping the app available for users in the India.

We take our responsibilities to this community seriously and welcome this opportunity to fully collaborate with the government to meet and exceed our obligations

TikTok and Helo statement to The Quint

Reports have suggested that post its hearing with the government, there are chances that TikTok might get banned but experts believe that is unlikely to happen, at least not on the same day as the hearing.