A few days ago, Chinese app TikTok announced that it would build a new data in India . The announcement caused a stir after it was reported that the service would stop operating in India altogether.
TikTok is an app for creating and uploading videos, about 15 seconds long. For five consecutive quarters, it was the No. 1 app on the App Store. The service quickly amassed 700 million users worldwide, 200 million of whom are in India. So the country is a top priority for the company.
The problem, however, is that many users use the app to share sexual content, often involving children. TikTok has gained a reputation for being a magnet for criminals involved in pornography and those looking for victims online.
The Federal Trade Commission has already fined the app $5.7 million for collecting data belonging to children under the age of thirteen without their parents' consent. However, a BBC investigation found that TikTok failed to suspend the accounts of people trying to exploit children and teens.
The most dangerous part is the live-streaming feature.
Many criminals are reaching out to children through live-streaming services, such as TikTok.
A survey found that a quarter of 40,000 children (aged 7 to 16) have spoken online to someone they don't know, and one in 20 children have been asked to remove their clothes.
A few days ago, India's Ministry of Technology threatened to shut down TikTok (in the country) for anti-social content, privacy issues and not being a safe platform for children. The Supreme Court sent the app 24 questions on these issues to answer. In this context, the Chinese company behind the app decided to showcase the new data center.
Will it be enough? With the opening of the data center, TikTok is introducing new security features, including new controls and a tool that prevents hacks. However, the sheer number of users combined with the app's growth rate makes it difficult to control all the content.
However, the Indian government is advocating for the app to be removed from the country.
Therefore, despite the app's rise in India, the company should think very seriously about the safety and protection of users (especially children), otherwise there is a high chance that it will be removed.
