IT Ministry seeks TikTok, Helo response on ‘anti-national’ activities

Other questions are related to TikTok’s plans to tackle obscene content, the data it collects

The government has expressed worries about “anti-national” and “anti-social elements” on TikTok and Helo in a list of 24 questions sent by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to the social media platforms run by a Chinese firm.

“As alleged in news items, the platforms have become a hub for anti-national activities. Please share your response,” the ministry wrote in its letter on Wednesday. “How does TikTok ensure that they do not become tools in the hands of anti-social elements?”
The ministry has sought a response by July 22.

An IT ministry official told The Indian Express that the questions were based on issues raised in the media and Parliament. “TikTok has been informed about some of these concerns before, but this is the most comprehensive,” the official said. He said the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 15, urging the government to ban the app, and this had prompted the ministry to send the letter.