TikTok ban: Petitioner says HC ordered 18-year age limit on app download, ByteDance denies

Three weeks after the Madras High Court ordered a ban on downloads of TikTok app, in an interim order on 24 April, the court reversed that ban, with the condition that the platform should not be used to host obscene videos.Now, in a new turn of events, the petitioner — advocate S Muthukumar — reportedly claims that the court had asked TikTok to ensure that only those above the age of 18 are allowed to download the app.According to a report by The Economic Times, Muthukumar says that the court has directed TikTok to “file an affidavit that those under the age of 18 years cannot download the app”, and that there is no inappropriate content on the app.While TikTok is happy with overturn of the ban on the app, the lawyer representing the company, senior advocate Isaac Mohanlal, rejected Muthukumar’s claim about the age limit. “There was no such condition imposed by the court that the app should only be available to those who are above the age of 18,” Mohanlal told ET.[caption id="attachment_6457481" align="alignnone" width="1024"] TikTok[/caption]We have reached out to TikTok to confirm the same. We will update this space as soon as we hear from them.On 3 April, the Madras High Court directed the Centre to ban the download of TikTok as it voiced concern over "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such platforms. It had passed an interim order on a public interest litigation which sought a ban on the app on the ground that it allegedly carried contents that "degraded culture and encouraged pornography".(Also read: TikTok ban in India highlights: Everything that happened at the TikTok hearing at the Madras HC)In Wednesday's verdict, a bench of justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar, which heard the matter as per the orders of the Supreme Court, warned if any controversial video violating its condition was found uploaded using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court.