Pornography and Politics

“India is the main market for TikTok followed by China, the United States, Indonesia, and Vietnam,” Craig Chapple from San Francisco-based research agency Sensor Tower told AFP.

The South Asian nation accounts for 40 percent of TikTok’s 800 million users worldwide and 11 of the top 25 stars on the app are based in India.

That includes Ansari, who earns commissions for partnering with brands to promote their products, earning anywhere between 20,000 rupees ($280) to 50,000 rupees in a month.

In China, where the app is called Douyin, viewers can purchase everything from face cream to clothing by tapping on videos created by influencers.

But it hasn’t been all fun and games — the app has come under fire around the world over claims that it was encouraging the spread of child pornography.

Bangladesh has banned it as part of a clampdown on porn, while Indonesia briefly blocked access over blasphemy concerns.

TikTok has also been hit with an enormous fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children.

The app is wildly popular among teenagers and two-thirds of all TikTok users are aged under 30, according to Sensor Tower.

In India, the app has often run into controversy, hitting the headlines in April after a teenager was accidentally shot dead by his friend in Delhi as they filmed a video featuring a pistol.

Days later, an Indian court momentarily cut access to TikTok over paedophilia concerns.