Chinese apps in India: The Government of India is likely to ban 54 more Chinese apps allegedly over privacy and security concerns. The development was first reported by news agency ANI.
Some of the apps on the list include Beauty Camera – Selfie Camera, Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite, Tencent Xriver, Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD, CamCard for SalesForce Ent, Onmyoji Chess, Equalizer & Bass Booster, Dual Space Lite, Viva Video Editor, AppLock and Onmyoji Arena.
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is expected to reveal the full list soon.
Though at this stage these are just reports, it is not unlikely for the Government of India to undertake such a move. Back in June 2020, it had banned major Chinese apps like TikTok, UC Browser and WeChat, over security concerns.
The move had come at a time when Indian armed forces were engaged in a border standoff with the Chinese military. The government had followed up on the move by banning more apps in September the same year. Popular gaming app PUBG was banned then.
Also read | India to impose permanent ban on 59 Chinese apps including TikTok
Current reported development is also taking place against the backdrop of the border tensions between the two countries still continuing along the LAC in Ladakh.
For long now, Chinese apps have been a cause for concern among many nations, including India and the US due to the Chinese government having potential jurisdiction and authority over the data collected by these apps. It is largely understood that companies operating in China are required to handover the data to the authorities, when asked. It is in this regard that decisions have been made to ban Chinese apps from time to time in India.