India Bans 59 Chinese Apps Including Tiktok, Helo, Shareit, UC Browser, Cam Scanner

India bans Chinese Apps: In a major decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government Monday imposed a ban on 59 Chinese mobile applications including short video makers Tiktok and Helo, file sharing app Shareit, web browsers like UC Browser and CM Mobile Browser and CS Cam Scanner saying that these Chinese mobile apps posed threat to safety and security of India.

“In view of the emergent nature of threats, the Ministry of Information and Technology has decided to block 59 apps in view of the available information that are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order,” said the government in a statement.

The Ministry of Information and Technology invoked its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009.

“Over the last few years, India has emerged as a leading innovator when it comes to technological advancements and a primary market in the digital space. At the same time, there have been raging concerns on aspects relating to data security and safeguarding the privacy of 130 crore (1.3 billion) Indians,” it said.

Tiktok, Helo, UC Browser, CM Browser, Shareit, Clean Master, Cam Scanner banned

The decision comes in the wake of two-month long military stand-off between the two countries in Ladakh region. The bilateral relations worsened following the death of 20 Indian soldiers in a violent face-off with Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley area on June 15 in a fierce hand-to-hand combat.

READ: India-China Border Clash: At least 20 Indian soldiers dead as both sides suffer casualties

These violent clashes and use of threatening language by Chinese state media, particularly Global Times, further aggravated the situation as China claimed the entire Galwan Valley area as its territory.

It led to call for boycott of Chinese products including Chinese mobile apps. Government of India and several provincial governments have already cancelled several infrastructure project tenders awarded to Chinese companies.

READ: Covid relief to defence industry: India extends delivery deadlines for domestic defence companies

The Ministry of Information Technology said it had received several 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 located outside India.

“The compilation of these data, its mining and priming 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,” said the official release.

“It has been noted recently that such concerns also pose a threat to sovereignty and security of our country,” it added.