Tackling TikTok

Just as the Centre’s celebrated ‘porn ban’ proved last year, clamping down on website or software applications that disseminate pornographic or abusive content merely provides the state with a vicarious satisfaction for having acted against a ‘social evil’ — the problem itself does not disappear. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has now imposed a ban on popular Chinese short video application TikTok; this was after the Supreme Court refused to stay a Madras High Court directive that wanted the Centre to ban TikTok for spreading inappropriate content. The entire attitude here reflects misplaced state vigilantism and policy myopia towards emerging technologies. Interestingly enough, following the Centre’s order, Google, which owns YouTube, blocked competitor TikTok on its PlayStore application repository, followed by Apple. This is not to argue against regulation of content; however, the process needs to be robust rather than ham-handed. A ban on a platform that has more than 120 million users in India and over half a billion across the globe can send wrong signals to entrepreneurs, investors and users of new technologies. As the recent episode of Facebook taking down nearly 700 accounts reminds us, neither the entity concerned nor the state should be entrusted with the task of judging whether content is harmful or not. Rather than allow the state or dominant players to micromanage the social media space, and compromising individual freedoms in the process, the task is best left to an independent, statutory authority.

TikTok, billed as a ‘YouTube killer’ globally, is a serious player; it is backed by China’s Bytedance Technology which is currently valued over $75 billion. The company has already invested $100 million in India, and reportedly plans to invest $1 billion going ahead. The popularity of TikTok, which came to India just a year ago, has been surging.

Bans have proved ineffective when it comes to controlling wayward tech and content. They end up introducing users to risky platforms with porous security infrastructure, making it even more difficult for lawmakers and enforcement agencies to track inappropriate content. At the outset, the charges against TikTok seem commonplace. ‘Degrading culture’ and ‘spreading abusive content’ are charges which can be laid against all social media platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook, which has been accused globally of allowing third parties to manipulate user data and for spreading fake news. There is also the issue of our approach towards pornography. Several studies have shown that it cannot be controlled by censorship; building awareness works better, as also equipping the new generation of users to negotiate the socio-cultural impact of social media.

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