India Announces Additional Ban of Over 100 Mostly Chinese Mobile Apps

Epoch Times ^ | 09/03/2020 | Frank Fang

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India has now banned over 200 mostly Chinese mobile apps, citing their collection of user data as a national security risk.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the latest ban on Sept. 2, naming a total of 118 mobile apps, according to a government press release. It is the third list of banned apps issued since June.

The 118 apps “engaged in activities which [are] prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state, and public order,” the ministry said.

Among the banned apps are two apps by Chinese search giant Baidu; online payment app Alipay and shopping app Mobile Taobao, both developed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba; a news app by Chinese technology firm Sina; video conferencing app VooV Meeting by Chinese tech giant Tencent; and an e-commerce app called ShareSave developed by Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi.

Many more on the list are mobile games developed by Chinese tech giants or companies owned by them, including Arena of Valor and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (owned by Tencent), and Cyber Hunter (developed by NetEase).

The ministry said it had received “credible inputs” that these apps “collect and share data in surreptitious manner and compromise personal data and information of users,” based on certain embedded functions within these apps, user permission requests, and information shared on these apps.

The ban was issued after a strong call by the public sector as well as concerns expressed by Indian officials across the political spectrum, according to the ministry.

“This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace,” the ministry concluded.