Threat to National Security: Government of India to ban 54 Chinese apps

On Monday, the Government of India has ordered the banning of 54 Chinese applications that pose a threat on national security. These 54 Chinese apps include Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera – Selfie Camera, Equalizer & Bass Booster, CamCard for SalesForce Ent, Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite, Viva Video Editor, Tencent Xriver, Onmyoji Chess, Onmyoji Arena, AppLock, Dual Space Lite.

The banned apps are mostly those that have been re-launched in India with new names after rebranding themselves. “Upon official confirmation and establishing the country of origin, the orders have once again been given to ban the apps,” said sources at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).  

The sources at the Ministry stated, “Several of these apps have been known to either run malicious end software or directly send the user information to China-based data centre without user consent.”

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Last year in June, India had banned 59 China-based mobile applications, including popular social media platforms like WeChat, PUBG, TikTok, and Helo citing threats to national security and sovereignty. The majority of these apps were red-flagged by intelligence agencies over concerns that they were collecting and sending user data to foreign entities.

The action of banning apps in June last year came after 20 Indian soldiers and some unrevealed number of Chinese soldiers were killed in clashes in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh amid growing border conflict between India and China. In September last year, the Indian government further banned 118 Chinese mobile applications saying they are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of the state and public order”.  

China has opposed the Indian government’s decision of continuing to ban various applications based in China. The Chinese authorities have said that the action by the Government of India is in violation of the World Trade Organisation’s non – discriminatory principles.