Google blocks TikTok in India, hurting Chinese startup

Google has complied with an Indian court order to block access to the popular app TikTok over government concerns with illicit content, according to a person familiar with the decision. The move could handicap the app’s owner, China’s Bytedance Ltd., the world’s most highly valued startup, in one of its most promising markets.

An Indian state court had earlier asked the federal government to ban TikTok, citing concerns the video-sharing mobile app exposed children to troubling content, including pornography. Bytedance fought the proposal, but was overruled by India’s Supreme Court. Regulators then asked Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Apple Inc. to remove TikTok from their app stores.

A spokeswoman from Google declined to comment. A representative from Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.