India has banned 59 mobile phone apps, mostly Chinese, in its strongest move yet to target China in the online space just weeks after a border crisis broke out between the two countries.
A statement from the Ministry of Information said on Monday that the prohibited applications include TikTok, UC Browser WeChat and Bigo Live, as well as Club Factory and Shein e-commerce platforms, which are used on mobile and non-mobile devices connected to the Internet.
The apps “are involved in activities … detrimental to India’s sovereignty and integrity, India’s defense, state security and law and order,” he said, calling the ban “a move aimed at ensuring security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace. “
The statement says the move was taken after the ministry received multiple complaints alleging the theft of user data and violations of user privacy.
Upon request, Google and Apple must remove these applications from the Android and iOS stores.
HR Venkatesh of Boom Factcheck, a New Delhi-based fact-checking website, told Al Jazeera that banned apps are huge in India, not only in terms of number of users but also the cultural impact they have on people.
“Especially with its popularity among people who are not urban Indians and people who are beginning to find their individuality and are able to express themselves,” he said.
Border crisis
India’s decision comes as its troops are involved in a tense clash with Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh, in the Himalayas, that started last month. India lost 20 soldiers in a June 15 clash that took place approximately 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level in the Galwan River Valley.
The deaths sparked outrage and street protests in India.
Anti-Chinese sentiment has been dormant in India over charges of cheap imports flooding the country, but the border clash has highlighted tensions with calls to boycott Chinese goods.
Indian customs at ports since last week held containers from China, including Apple, Cisco and Dell products, according to reports.
Chinese mobiles have a nearly 65 percent share of the local smartphone market, while video-sharing apps like TikTok and Helo are popular with young people in India.
The ban is also expected to be a major hurdle for companies like Beijing-based Bytedance, which had plans to invest $ 1 billion in India, open a local data center, and had recently increased hiring in the country.
Other apps that have been banned include Tencent’s WeChat, which has been downloaded more than 100 million times on Google’s Android, Alibaba’s UC browser, and two of Xiaomi’s apps.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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