Indian court lifts ban on TikTok video-sharing app in victory for China’s Bytedance – South China Morning Post
What happened: An Indian state court lifted a ban on Bytedance’s short video app TikTok on Wednesday, South China Morning Post reported, citing two lawyers involved in the case. After hearing Bytedance’s plea during a hearing that day, the state court reversed the Apr. 3 decision to ban the app. A senior Indian government official said that once the IT ministry receives the court order, it will ask Apple and Google to reinstate TikTok on their app stores. A TikTok spokesperson said that the company welcomed the court’s decision, adding that the app is “committed to continuously enhancing” its safety features. The lawyer for the individual who filed public interest litigation calling for ban stated that there are no plans to appeal to the court’s latest decision.
Why it’s important: The state court’s decision marks a temporary victory for TikTok in India, where the company has been accused of spreading pornography. The company argued in an earlier filing that it should not be held accountable for the inappropriate content created by users. It has also released a series of statements while the case was ongoing, promising more investment, job opportunities, and tighter content filters in India. While it is uncertain which of those moves had impact, Bytedance will soon regain access to one of its largest markets.