India has banned 59 predominantly Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok, ShareIt and Alibaba’s UC Browser, citing “raging” privacy concerns. The move comes amid the fallout of the recent border clash between the two nations.
The Ministry for Electronics and IT announced the ban on Monday, stating that the Chinese-made applications were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”
The decision was made under section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the ministry added, which allows the government to block the public from accessing potentially dangerous information. In recent years, India has emerged as “a primary market in the digital space,” the ministry explained, and that rapid growth prompted “raging concerns” about safeguarding privacy of Indians.
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