New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan has issued a final warning to Chinese app TikTok over its “obscene, “immoral” and “vulgar” content on social media platforms while issuing a notice to the China-based video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance.
The warning came after Pakistan blocked Live streaming app Bigo on “complaints of immoral, obscene and vulgar content.”
Bigo Live is a live streaming platform where users are able to share live moments with followers. It is owned by a Singapore-based company called BIGO Technology, which was founded in 2014.
“On complaints of immoral, obscene and vulgar content, streaming app Bigo has been blocked in Pakistan. TikTok has also been served with final warning on same grounds,” Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a tweet.
In a press release, PTA said: “Number of complaints had been received from different segments of the society against immoral, obscene & vulgar content on social media applications particularly Tik Tok and Bigo, & their extremely negative effects on the society in general & youth in particular.”
“PTA has issued necessary notices to the aforementioned social media companies under law to moderate the socialization and content within legal and moral limits, in accordance with the laws of the country. However, the response of these companies has not been satisfactory,” the Authority said in its statement.
“Therefore, in exercise of its powers under PECA, PTA has decided to immediately block Bigo and issue final warning to Tik Tok to put in place a comprehensive mechanism to control obscenity, vulgarity and immorality through its social media application,” the PTA in its statement said,” read the PTA statement.
Pakistan’s action on these two apps comes days after it temporarily banned online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
In an earlier statement, PTA had said it had received several complaints about the game being “addictive”, a waste of time and its potential negative impact on children’s physical and psychological health. Multiple petitions have been filed against the ban, reports the Dawn.
Interestingly, India banned 59 Chinese mobile apps last month including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, WeChat, saying that these are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence, security and public order of India.
The development came in the backdrop of India and China border row which escalated after the violent clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
-ARK
