Last month, popular social media video app Tik Tok collaborated with Cyber Peace Foundation celebrated Safer Internet Day and kicked off #SafeHumSafeInternet and #BetterMeBetterInternet campaigns. It also announced to bring new safety features that will protect users from getting bullied in the comments section.
Keeping true to its words, Tik Tok app-maker ByteDance has released the new user-defined word filter that blocks any filthy comments in the video-sharing app. Tik Tok users can self-define 30 Hindi and English words and if required they can re-assign the word as and when they want. Users can add words in the 'Filter Comments' section of the Tik Tok.
This move by ByteDance is in the right direction, as this will definitely help app users from getting abuses online. Cyberbullying has become a big mess not just in India, but across the world. Some serious cases have been reported where the user becomes so much affected psychologically by the vile comments and not able to bear the abuses, end up killing themselves.
However, the Tik Tok-maker has to make more changes to the video-sharing app so that minors don't get access to age-inappropriate contents and also some of the dares, which are unfortunately performed by adults, end up causing hurt not only to the user, but also the people nearby. These safety features have to be brought in as soon as possible before it gets out of hands.
In India particularly down south, Tik Tok has gained infamy. The government of Tamil Nadu has urged prohibition of Tik Tok for spreading vulgarity and ruining traditional culture.
Nagapattinam's Thamimun Ansari, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of ruling party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) during a debate at Tamil Nadu legislative assembly (Fort St George) said TikTok was degrading Indian culture, encourages pornography and also causing law and order problem in the state. As the people's representative, it's their responsibility to ban such nefarious mobile app, Ansari added.
In late 2018, there was an absurd Nillu Nillu challenge on TikTok app that involved individual or a group of people jumping in front of a moving vehicle carrying leaves in their hand and wearing a helmet. The participants then dance for the tune of the song 'Nillu Nillu Nee Ente Neela Kuyile' in Kerala. This apparently led to mobs blocking buses just to make this video on Tik Tok.
For those unaware, Tik Tok (Douyin in China) is one of the most installed mobile apps on both Apple iOS and Google's Android platforms. It has more than a billion active users across the world. In India alone, there are more than 54 million active users.
The main attraction of Tik Tok is that it allows users to broadcast video bytes with popular background music, a movie dialogue, graphics animation and several other features.
In a related development, PUBG Mobile, like Tik Tok, is also making noise for wrong reasons. Considering the addictive and violent nature of the battle royale game, two Gujarat cities—Rajkot and Surat—have imposed a complete ban of PUBG Mobile.
If anybody found violating the order, will face action as per Section 144 of the Criminal Procedural Act, 1973 (Act No. 1 of 1974) and Section 37 (3) of the Gujarat Police Act, under the authority of Rajkot City Police Act, Rajkot City Police Commissionerate.
