As the tensions along the Line of Actual Control increases between India and China, the Indian government has taken an unprecedented step of banning at least 59 Chinese applications in the country.
The order was issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stating that the apps are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”
The list includes applications which have its origin in China, such as TikTok, SHAREit, UC Browser, Club Factory, WeChat, Xender, CamScanner, among others. The list of apps banned in India is as below.
- 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 statement from the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology says that it had received an “exhaustive recommendation” from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Interestingly, this unprecedented step from the Indian government only includes the applications of Chinese origin and not the companies with Chinese origin or Indian companies with majority of the Chinese investments.
As per the report from Venture Intelligence, during the year 2015-19, Chinese investors like Alibaba, Tencent, TR Capital, and Hillhouse Capital have invested more than $5.5 billion in the Indian startups.
Companies like PayTM, BigBasket, Zomato, Ola, Flipkart, and BYJU’S, among others have significant amount of investment from Alibaba and Tencent. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and not related to this LAC tensions, India recently banned Chinese FDI through the automatic route.
In its official release, the Ministry said: “There have been raging concerns on aspects relating to data security and safeguarding the privacy of 130 crore Indians. It has been noted recently that such concerns also pose a threat to sovereignty and security of our country. The Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about 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. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.”
