India bans 43 more Chinese Apps over security concerns |
India has blocked 43 more mobile apps, mostly Chinese, for activities that are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state and public order". Four apps owned by China`s retail giant, the Alibaba Group, are on the latest banned list. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that the apps were banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. It said the move was based on "comprehensive reports received from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs.” The government said that it is committed to protecting the interests of citizens and sovereignty and integrity of India on all fronts and it shall take all possible steps to ensure that. The blocked apps include Alibaba Workbench, AliExpress, Alipay Cashier, CamCard and WeDate. AliExpress, a China-based online shopping platform, is popular in India among traders and small businesses who rely on it for supplies and components. The ban effectively places a check on imports from China. The government had first banned 59 Chinese apps in June as tension with China peaked following the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh`s Galwan Valley. In September, the government banned 118 more apps saying they posed a threat to the country`s sovereignty. A total of 220 apps now stand blocked, including the viral video platform TikTok and the popular mobile shooting game, PUBG, in what the government has described as a "digital strike".
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