Dealing with deaths on TikTok
The world’s most downloaded app is not Facebook or YouTube, but the Chinese short-video sensation TikTok. The app’s history in Tamil Nadu has been troubled, with many crimes in the state being linked to it. Two such incidents were reported last week - a woman committed suicide after her husband allegedly fought with her for spending way too much time on the app and, in the second case, a youngster has been accused of strangling his friend to death for posting the former’s video on TikTok.
These incidents are just the tip of the iceberg. Complaints have also been filed about videos spreading caste and communal hatred on the platform. It’s not just about Tamil Nadu. The app has faced fines, bans and investigations across three continents. British authorities opened an investigation this month into how the application deals with private data of its young users. The UK watchdog investigating the case has made its fear clear: The application allows adults to message unknown children in private, a facility that can be misused to sexually groom or abuse minors.
Concerned by the mechanics of TikTok, which prioritises engagement like most other social media applications, young women across users, mostly from the US, have come together to formulate a strategy to protect youngsters from abuse.
In India, the makers of the app were forced to discuss the app’s safety features after a 12-year-old boy committed suicide in Rajasthan, in June, and recorded the act on TikTok. Police suspect he was trying to act like he was committing suicide, but accidentally hanged himself.
The app said it does not allow any internet challenge that harms people, and internet freedom activists feel social media applications do not necessarily promote crimes. Social media is not a catalyst but only a mirror reflecting happenings in the society. Between users and developers, the onus lies with the regulators, to hold public consultations with stakeholders to make social media apps safer. Like policing public places, it’s time we start policing social media.