TikTok suspends accounts of three users for posting content about lynching of Tabrez Ansari

TikTok is in the news once again and it’s for all the wrong reasons. This time around the cyber cell of Mumbai Police has registered a complaint against a group of TikTok users who have posted videos pertaining to the alleged lynching of Tabrez Ansari. [caption id=“attachment_6414241” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] TikTok app seen on a mobile phone screen. Image: Reuters.[/caption] For those who are unaware, Tabrez Ansari was assaulted by a mob in Seraikela Kharswan district in Jharkhand on 18 June and the youth died of the injuries sustained on 22 June. Members of the TikTok group Team 07, who have a combined following of over four crore people, uploaded a video on the platform which is said to have said things to the effect of “the next of kin of the victims of lynchings to take to terrorism to achieve justice.” Shiv Sena activist Ramesh Solanki had filed a complaint against the TikTok group and has stated, as per a report by ZeeNews, that the video is talking about how “the public at large may have killed Tabrez, but if tomorrow, his progeny exercises revenge then he mustn’t be a called a ‘Muslim Terrorist’. The case has been registered under sections 153(A) and 34 of Indian Penal code (IPC) at Mumbai’s LT Marg Police station. On its part, TikTok has removed the video after the complaint and has said that the content “violates its Community Guidelines”.  The three users of Team 07, Hasnain Khan, Faisal Shaikh and Sadhan Faroqui have been suspended by TikTok. The company has also issued an official statement in the matter, “TikTok has zero tolerance for content that incites violence against other users or any content that violates its Community Guidelines. In line with this, the video in question, which has violated our Community Guidelines, is no longer available on TikTok. Such irresponsible acts will not be tolerated on our platform, hence we have suspended three user accounts and are cooperating with law enforcement agencies.”