Popular video-sharing app TikTok has regained its place as the top free app on Apple's App Store and has made it among the top free apps on Google's Play Store, second only to WhatsApp.
The app returned to stores on April 25, a day after the ban imposed by the Madras High Court was lifted. As a part of TikTok's revival strategy, parent company Bytedance is offering three lucky users with cash prizes of 1 lakh every day from May 1 through May 16 just for sharing #ReturnofTikTok microsite on social media that prompts users to download the app.
TikTok has popularity spanning over 12 crore users in India. It allows users to share videos with special effects, most popularly dance videos, humorous skits and vlogs. It borrows elements from the discontinued video-sharing app, Vine, which peaked in popularity around 2014. TikTok sparked controversy when certain politicians started to condemn the app for hosting pornographic content which could expose children to explicit content.
TikTok has added security features to the app since. Among the new features are notification controls to filter content based on the user and a device management tool to give control over logins and prevent hacks. An in-app quiz about online security has been added, which teaches users about internet safety.
Sumedhas Rajgopal, Entertainment Strategy and Partnerships Lead, TikTok (India) said in a statement, "We would like to express our deepest gratitude and thank our over 200 million users in India for the overwhelming response, support and love they have shown towards TikTok." In reference to the concerns that were raised earlier, he added, "We are looking forward to continuing our journey with our TikTok family and actively work towards ensuring a safe and positive in-app experience for our users."
TikTok is a growing platform, with over 50 crore downloads on Google Play Store. It uses algorithms in a similar fashion as YouTube to deliver a personalised feed to users and make viral trends. The app has led to the rise of 'internet celebrities' and 'influencers' across the globe within a short period of time.
