HC lifts ban on TikTok with conditions, warns against obscene videos

The Madras High Court Wednesday lifted its ban on Chinese social media app TikTok with the condition that the platform should not be used to host obscene videos.

A bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar of the Madurai bench of the high court, which heard the matter as per the orders of the Supreme Court, warned that if any "controversial" video violating its conditions were found posted using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court.

The high court had on April 3 directed the Centre to ban the mobile app TikTok, which is used to create short videos, as it voiced concern over "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such apps.

Hearing a plea by the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns the app, challenging the ban, the Supreme Court has refused to stay the HC order, but asked the firm to raise its grievances before the high court.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna had Monday directed the high court to decide on Wednesday the plea for vacating its earlier ban order.

It had also said if the Madurai bench does not decide the plea for interim relief on Wednesday, the ban order will stand vacated.