About 275 Chinese apps in India are on the government’s radar for possible violations of national security and user privacy.
A list of 275 apps have been drawn by the government which are being examined for national security violations and if found in breach, the apps are likely to be banned, Economic Times reports. The move comes after the government banned 59 Chinese apps last month including TikTok and WeChat. Government, report says was also looking closely at the apps which are not just Chinese but would also have investments from China. The move comes amid reports that even the United States was also mulling banning the Chinese Apps for sharing data with the state authorities in Beijing.
The new list of 275 apps that might face the heat soon, including major apps like mobile gaming sensation PubG backed by Tencent, Zili by Xiaomi and Alibaba group’s shopping portal AliExpress. Apps like Resso and ULike from Byte Dance. The Modin government is also working on a Code for Apps to run. The various government agencies have been working on drafting rules to define the framework for apps. Those in violation of the rules could be banned. The measures are aimed to boos cybersecurity and protecting data of Indians.
“Some of these apps have been red-flagged due to security reasons while others have been listed for violation of data sharing and privacy concerns,” ET quoted official sources as saying.
In Focus
Govt mulls over banning 275 Chinese apps including PubG, AliExpress.
The apps are being evaluated for violation of national security and user privacy.
Chinese Huawei 5G already banned in a number of western countries including USA.
Amongst the apps that are on the government’s radar are 14 MI apps by Xiaomi as well as lesser-known ones such Capcut and FaceU. Apps from other Chinese internet and tech majors like Meitu, LBE Tech, Perfect Corp, Sina Corp, Netease Games, Yoozoo Global are also present.
Also in the list are companies such as Helsinki-based Supercell that have investments by Chinese technology companies. Tencent bought a majority stake in the gaming company last year.
ET has claimed that a senior govt official told them that the government is looking to formalise a process for such bans and the concerned ministry has been asked to frame a law or circular or some form of regulation for constant scrutiny of the apps operating in India. “A set of rules or defined procedures may take time but is the correct process to go about it in the future,” the person said.
China is facing the heat from several fronts as a number of western countries have banned Huawei 5G. Countries have also cornered China for the coronavirus outbreak and WHO has already said that a team would be visiting China to assess the situation.
Names of Chinese Apps that are on govt radar for security issues
- PubG
- AliExpress
- Capcut
- Resso
- ULike
- Meitu
- FaceU
…amongst others.