New Delhi, June 29: Amid the ongoing border row with China, the Government of India on Monday announced the stern decision to ban 59 Chinese mobile apps. Among the applications which would no longer be available for use in India include the highly popular TikTok and UC Browser. Chingari, Another Indian Alternative to TikTok? Know Everything About The Social Media App That Pays Money to Video Creators.
While UC Browser is one of the most used web browser applications - and is also the default browser available for users of China-made smartphones in India. TikTok, used by millions of Indians, is one the most popular video sharing apps in the world.
See Full List of Chinese Apps Banned by India
List of 59 apps banned by Government of India "which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”. pic.twitter.com/p6T2Tcd5rI
— ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2020
Among other major applications in the list of banned apps includes WeChat, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Cam Scanner, NewsDog, UC News, Weibo, Xender and ShareIt. The applications would now be blocked by internet service providers across India.
The action comes nearly two months after the Union Home Minister had issued an advisory, barring government officials and departments against using the Zoom video-conferencing app which has been developed by a Chinese-origin software engineer.
The Intelligence agencies had reportedly warned the Indian government earlier this month about the potential phishing and privacy breach activities through 53 Chinese apps, which have gained huge traction among mobile phone users in India.
The decision to ban the Chinese apps comes amid heightened tensions between India and China, with both the countries stalling the imports as a mark of first fallout of their ties. The border face-off in eastern Ladakh, which flared up on June 15 leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers, continues to remain as both sides have increased their military deployments.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2020 08:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).