Info-tech

Ban on TikTok takes away prominent accounts of govt and Bollywood stars

Prashasti Awasthi Mumbai | Updated on June 30, 2020 Published on June 30, 2020

Chinese video-sharing social networking service TikTok was one of the 59 Chinese apps banned by the Centre late on Monday night. The decision came as Indian soldiers were involved in a deadly clash with China along the Line of Actual Control.

The apps are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order,” the Ministry of Information Technology said.

Hours after the decision, Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, released a statement as cited in the CNBC TV 18 report: “The ByteDance team of around 2,000 employees in India is committed to working with the government to demonstrate our dedication to user security and our commitment to the country overall,” the statement said.

 

TikTok rose to prominence as many film stars and even the government joined the app to gain popularity among its users.

From Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor to Madhuri Dixit - most of the Bollywood stars have been using TikTok as a medium to stay connected with their fans and promote their films.

Actors Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani, Kartik Aaryan, and Kirti Sanon are also among the dozens of Bollywood celebrities who are a part of the TikTok bandwagon.

Govt profile on the app

The Government of India, until very recently, had an active presence through its verified account on the app. The now-deleted MyGov India account had more than one million followers before it was removed from the platform.

MyGov isn't the only official government account on TikTok. From the Karnataka Government, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Maharashtra Public Health Department to the Data Security Council of India, several government agencies have been using the platform to put out information on better data security practices, spreading awareness about COVID-19.

The Press Information Bureau, the government's nodal communication agency, has even been using its handle to share Prime Minister's messages on India-China stand-off, NDTV reported.

The Railways also had TikTok presence. The now-deleted IRCTC handle was focused on the travel and benefits of booking train tickets via IRCTC.

Published on June 30, 2020

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