Entire 2 million people cannot be actors: NCW chief welcomes ban on Tik-Tok app

In conversation with ETV Bharat Reporter Chandrakala Choudhury, National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma, who has been seeking a ban on TikTok for its objectionable content, commented on the content that was circulated through the short video making platform and said that the app taught youngsters to make easy money and to waste time, which could have been used to enhance their education and skills.

New Delhi: Tik Tok is one of the 59 Chinese apps banned in India by the government to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, the National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma commented on Tik-Tok ban in India and said, "With tik tok, everything was an issue. People used to put every kind of content promoting violence against women, the elderly, against our nation, and also anti-religion content. There was no check. The security was another matter. They were deleting anything coming up against China but were okay with things against India. Why our money should go to the country which is killing our soldiers."

NCW has been spearheading to ban Tik Tok continuously, raising concern about the increase in crimes against women after it strongly urged Tik Tok India to remove a video showing a man glorifying acid attacks on women that went viral.

"Many complaints were received and also many TikTok videos surfaced on social media showing obscene behaviour towards women and elderly especially the one showing the acid attack on a girl. NCW was the one which recommended that Tik Tok should be blocked. After seeing these videos, I wrote a letter to Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad seeking a ban on the App. Finally, the app has been banned along with 58 more. It surely will make people take things seriously. People who think they can get away with anything and everything will be cautious," the chairperson told ETV Bharat.

The drastic move by the government of banning 59 Chinese mobile applications including Tik Tok, Helo and We Chat to counter the threat posed by these applications to the country’s sovereignty, integrity, and security came amid the rising tensions between India and China following clashes at the LAC. Ever since then, there has been growing demand and anger raging to boycott China.

"As an individual, I think not a penny should go to the country which bullies around its neighbours and tries to grab others' territory," the chairperson further stated.

It is worth noting that some of the most popular Tik Tok influencers are teens or those in their early 20’s, who have gone on to amass followers in the millions. Giving a taste of 'celebhood' to youth from such demography, the short video platform had gained traction to become a one-stop for massy content.

"It (banning Tik Tok) has rather taught youngsters to make easy money and they learned to waste their time which could have been used to enhance their education and skills. Do you think they were all actors and dancers and would it be possible to carry on like this for life long? Short-lived popularity can never be a permanent thing," said Sharma.

She said that even parents were pushing their small children into it and making them work and earn for them instead of getting them educated.

“Everyone has the right to pursue their dreams but they have to be realistic. The entire 2 million people cannot be actors. Many people called social influencers were the ones making useless videos promoting hatred and violence," the chairperson pointed out.

Now, whether other platforms with different features will be able to replace the banned app is something only time will tell. Moreover, in the past three years, the popularity of the app had grown manifold especially in tier two and tier three cities and India became Tik Tok’s largest market with more than 200 million users.