India banned 54 Chinese apps that pose a threat to the country’s security, the ministry of electronics and information technology said today.
“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,” the ministry said in a statement.
The list of banned apps includes – Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera – Selfie Camera, Garena Free Fire – Illuminate, Viva Video Editor, Tencent Xriver, Onmyoji Arena, AppLock and Dual Space Lite.
In June last year, India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications, including the widely-used social media platforms such as TikTok, WeChat, and Helo, citing a threat to the nation’s sovereignty and security. The apps were banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said.
The first round of bans was announced in June 2020, days after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake areas. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers with heavy weaponry.
The tension had escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15 that year.
