TikTok users in India are even breaking the law in a bid to go viral

• Creators on TikTok, the 15 second video sharing mobile app, are breaking the law in an attempt for their videos to go viral on the platform.
  
• Nurses in Odisha have been put on notice for shooting videos in the newborn care unit of the hospital where they were employed.
  
• Another youth in Delhi was reprimanded by viewers and authorities for shooting a video that features a Delhi Police van.
  

TikTok is the most downloaded app on iOS and ahead of Facebook on Android but its popularity has video creators breaking the law to rake in more views.

Four nurses in Odisha have been put on notice for shooting videos in the special neonatal care unit (SNCU) of the hospital where they worked.


In another video that went viral, a TikTok users is seen climbing out of, what looks like, a moving Delhi Police van to do push ups on the roof. The video was criticized by online users and the authorities alike for not only being unsafe but also abusing an official Indian government vehicle.



Consequences

While the nurses in Odisha claim it was only a ‘mistake’, the Chief District Medical Office (CDMO), Ajit Kumar Mohanty, stated the videos constitute ‘extreme medical negligence’. Since the incidence, the nurses were issued a show-cause notice to present their side of the story and have been asked to go on leave until the matter is resolved.



In the case of the Delhi Police van being used a make-shift gym, the authorities released a statement saying that the vehicle was, in fact, not an official police vehicle nor was the video shot recently.

They claim that the car belongs to a private contractor who had been hired by the police for ‘certain duties’, pointing out that the individual in the video is not the car owner, but a friend of the contractor.

Who’s to blame?

TikTok has no official comment on the matter but they reiterate that users are urged to follow the community guidelines before uploading any video. The terms and conditions state that TikTok is ‘simply NOT the place post’ content that depicts dangerous acts or those that involve illegal activities.

They also have a grievance officer for India, Anuj Bhatai, in place so that if users spot any video that violates the community guidelines, it can be reported using the official channels.

The 15-second video sharing mobile app can’t seem to catch a break after a string of bad news last week where a woman in Tamil Nadu committed suicide after her husband told her not to use TikTok anymore.

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