India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) formally issued a notification to ban the operation of 54 Chinese mobile applications in India that pose a threat to the country’s security (under the emergency provision envisaged in Section 69A of the Information and Technology Act, 2000), an official source at the “Ministry of Home Affairs” said on Monday.
Google and Apple confirm that they have “temporarily blocked access“ to 54 banned apps from the Google Play Store in India following a government of India order.
Officall Statement, From Google to Gadgets360
On receipt of the interim order passed under Section 69A of the IT Act, following established process, we have notified the affected developers and have temporarily blocked access to the apps that remained available on the Play Store in India.
This action comes into action after a long tension between two nuclear-armed nations (India and China), following over 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers’ violent clash in Pangong Lake (eastern Ladakh border) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Since then, both nations have deployed tens of thousands of soldiers with heavy weaponry. India shares a 3,400 KM-long LAC with China, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
Mishi Choudhary, founder of the legal advocacy group Slfc.in (Technology Lawyer), said
Whether 59 apps are banned or 118, all this underscores how technology and geopolitical matters are becoming two strands of a braid. – @MishiChoudhary @TheQuint https://t.co/lEYmh6piyz#ChineseAppsBanned #PUBGBANNED #pubgindia #ChinaIndiaFaceoff pic.twitter.com/FzX90gdWPx
— sflc.in (@SFLCin) September 3, 2020
These apps are from massive Chinese origins, including Sea Ltd.’s marquee game Free Fire, and big tech firms like e-commerce giant Alibaba, the biggest video gaming publisher Tencent, and NetEase (According to App Annie). These apps were refurbished versions of Chinese apps that were banned by India in 2020.
Last year, India banned a total of 270 apps followng the bann of 118 Mobile apps , which included some popular apps like TikTok, Helo, WeChat, Kwai, Clash of Kings, Alibaba’s UC Browser and UC News, Likee, Bigo Live, Shein, Club Factory, and Cam Scanner, among others, for citing a threat to the nation’s sovereignty and security.
Officall Statement from India’s Ministry
“These 54 apps allegedly obtain various critical permissions and collects sensitive user data. These collected real-time data are being misused and transmitted to servers located in hostile country,” Added “being hosted out of countries like Hong Kong or Singapore, but the data was ultimately going to servers in Chinese destinations.”
List of 54 Banned Apps: Officall Report (Via Economic Times/ ET Now)
- Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD
- Beauty Camera – Selfie Camera
- Equalizer — Bass Booster & Volume EQ & Virtualizer
- Music Player – Music, Mp3 Player
- Equalizer & Bass Booster – Music Volume EQ
- Music Plus – MP3 Player
- Equalizer Pro – Volume Booster & Bass Booster
- Video Player Media All Format
- Music Player – Equalizer & MP3
- Volume Booster – Loud Speaker & Sound Booster
- Music Player – MP3 Player
- CamCard for SalesForce Ent
- Isoland 2: Ashese of Time Lite
- Rise of Kingdoms: Lost crusade
- APUS Security Lite 32 Support
- Parallel Space Lite 32 Support
- Viva Video Editor – Snack Video Maker with Music
- Nice video Baidu
- Tencent Xriver
- Onmyoji Chess
- Onmyoji Arena
- App Lock
- Dual Space Lite – Multiple Account & Clone App
- Dual Space Pro – Multiple Account & Account Cloner
- DualSpace Lite – 32Bit Support
- Dual Space – 32Bit Support
- Dual Space – 64Bit Support
- Dual Space Pro – 32Bit Support
- Conquer Online – MMORPG Game
- Conquer Online II
- Live Weather & Radar – Alerts
- Notes- Color Notepad, Notebook
- MP3 Cutter – Ringtone Make & Audio Cutter
- Voice Recorder & Voice Changer
- Barcode Scanner – QR Code Scan
- Lica Cam – Selfie camera app
- EVE Echoes
- Astracraft
- UU Game Booster-network solution for high ping
- Extraordinary Ones
- Badlanders
- Stick Fight: The Game Mobile
- Twilight Pioneers
- CuteU: Match with the World
- SmallWorld-Enjoy groupchat and Video Chat
- CuteU Pro
- FancyU – Video Chat & Meetup
- RealU: Go Live, Make Friends
- MoonChat: Enjoy Video Chats
- RealU Lite -video to live!
- Wink: Connect Now
- FunChat Meet People Around You
- FancyU Pro – Instant Meetup through Video Chat!
- Garena Free Fire – Illuminate
Note: The Union Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology is expected to reveal the complete list soon.
Officall Statement, added from Government said in a statement
“In addition there are other serious concerns as some of these apps can carry out Espionage and Surveillance activities via camera/ mic, accessing fine location (GPS) and do malicious network activity similar to previously blocked apps. These apps were allegedly engaged in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of the country also posing serious threat to Security of the State and defense of India.”
On the other hand, popular e-sports player PUBG Mobile (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile) was also banned in India during the first wave of banned apps, alongside TikTok, and AliExpress. PUBG Mobile was developed by Krafton, but later relaunched as BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) with the assurance of storing data locally and adhering to India’s government laws for data security.
In India the majority of apps were banned on June 29 over concerns about collecting user data and potentially sending data outside India. Later in September, the GOI further blocked 118 Chinese smartphone apps, stating that they are “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order“.
China opposed India’s decision on the ban on Chinese apps and said “action is in violation of the World Trade Organisation’s non-discriminatory principles.”
Chinese smartphone apps abused for causing many nation, including India and US. Both have taken the potential jurisdiction and authority over the data collected by these apps, Operating in China and China requires handover of the data to authorities.
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