India’s Ministry of Information Technology announced Monday that it will be banning 59 Chinese apps, including the popular social media app TikTok.
BIG BREAKING: Indian Govt bans 59 Chinese apps, including Tik-Tok. Full list: pic.twitter.com/QR1dpRPln5
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 29, 2020
The ministry said it banned the apps “in view of information available they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order,” according to a statement obtained by CNBC. (RELATED: Russia Denies Nuclear Leak After Particles Detected In Another Country)
The decision was made after consideration from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (Ministry of Home Affairs), Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), representatives and citizens, per CNBC.
“The Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India,” said an official press release, obtained by CNBC.
“The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,” the press release reportedly continued.
The ban includes games, camera apps, web browsers, news outlets and virus cleaners created by Chinese developers, per CNBC. The most popular app among them is TikTok, which hit 2 billion downloads worldwide in April, according to SensorTower.
“The move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users,” read the statement obtained by CNBC, “This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.”