An issue has been going on between the Indian government and Chinese government which some people tag as political move following the border stand-off in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
Now, the Indian Government has announced that it has banned 59 mobile applications, including TikTok, WeChat, and Mi Community.
The reason is, as stated in a press release, the Ministry of Information Technology “has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India”.
There were multiple reports from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) that these mobile apps are a threat to national security and risk to the privacy of Indian citizens. The Government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain Apps, used both by mobile and non-mobile users.
Looking at the list, we see predominantly service apps that are advertised in India as must-haves – a file explorer, document scanner, RAM cleaner, an independent sharing service, but no major platforms with in-game purchases like PUBG, for example. However, platforms by major Chinese companies were not spared – we see Baidu apps, Alibaba’s UC Browser, and Tencent’s ecosystem of QQ apps.
Among smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi is the sole company with some of its apps being banned, there is nothing on Huawei, even if the Shenzhen company is having massive issues with the US government.
Here’s the full list of blocked apps, as given by the Indian government:
- TikTok
- Shareit
- Kwai
- UC Browser
- Baidu map
- Shein
- Clash of Kings
- DU battery saver
- Helo
- Likee
- YouCam makeup
- Mi Community
- CM Browers
- Virus Cleaner
- APUS Browser
- ROMWE
- Club Factory
- Newsdog
- Beutry Plus
- UC News
- QQ Mail
- Xender
- QQ Music
- QQ Newsfeed
- Bigo Live
- SelfieCity
- Mail Master
- Parallel Space
- Mi Video Call – Xiaomi
- WeSync
- ES File Explorer
- Viva Video – QU Video Inc
- Meitu
- Vigo Video
- New Video Status
- DU Recorder
- Vault- Hide
- Cache Cleaner DU App studio
- DU Cleaner
- DU Browser
- Hago Play With New Friends
- Cam Scanner
- Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
- Wonder Camera
- Photo Wonder
- QQ Player
- We Meet
- Sweet Selfie
- Baidu Translate
- Vmate
- QQ International
- QQ Security Center
- QQ Launcher
- U Video
- V fly Status Video
- Mobile Legends
- DU Privacy
The question is how is Indian Government going to implement this ban going with the fact that these apps already installed on some indian citizens phone still works effortlessly.
When you can’t recieve updates anymore the app is good as dead.. also the ISPs can implement a network level ban.
Wahara.
Banning it on playstore or appstore does not mean it can’t sideloaded.
Good point
I see no logical reason for this implementation. What is political should remain political. The most affected here are the Indian end-users, image where even Xender is banned. Whenever the US is out to get you this is usually what follows. The network dependent apps would be easy to monitor, the others on the other hand would require the full cooperation of the public or else this is nothing but pure propaganda.
Hahahaha
Good for China, China too does not allow Google services in China