The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology handed down a ban on 118 apps on Tuesday, claiming they are “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting” data of users to servers outside of India, and thereby undermining the sovereignty and defence of the nation.
“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 Ministry said in a statement.
Among the list of apps are a number of high-profile Chinese apps, including Baidu, WeChat, AliPay, PUBG, Sina News.
Tencent has had a number of its apps blocked — besides WeChat and PUBG, which it has an equity stake in — including its new VooV video conferencing tool, its Weiyun storage service, and its Watchlist app.
Earlier in the week, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked access to five dating and live-streaming apps, namely Tinder, Tagged, Skout, Grindr, and SayHi.
“Keeping in view the negative effects of immoral/indecent content streaming through the above applications, PTA issued notices to the management of above mentioned platforms for the purpose of removing dating services and to moderate live streaming content in accordance with the local laws of Pakistan,” the Authority said in a statement.
“Since the platforms did not respond to the notices within the stipulated time therefore the Authority issued orders for blocking of the said applications.”
Since June, China and India have experienced rising tensions following a border clash between soldiers where they fought each other with rocks and clubs. The clash resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, and more than 75 injured.
Also read: Despite brutal border clash between India and China, tech bonds will be very hard to break
Later that month, India banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, UC Browser, Weibo, and WeChat.
On Tuesday the WeChat ban was extended to WeChat Work, WeChat reading, and Government WeChat.
The full list of 118 apps blocked by India are:
- AFK Arena
- Alipay
- AlipayHK
- Amour: video chat & call all over the world.
- AppLock
- AppLock Lite
- APUS Flashlight: Free & Bright
- APUS Launcher Pro: Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart
- APUS Launcher: Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps
- APUS Message Center: Intelligent management
- APUS Security: Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner
- APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020: Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus
- Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games
- Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon
- Baidu
- Baidu Express Edition
- Beauty Camera Plus: Sweet Camera & Face Selfie
- Bike Racing: Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games
- Buy Cars: offer everything you need, special offers and low prices
- CamCard: Business Card Reader
- CamCard Business
- CamCard for Salesforce
- CamOCR
- Carrom Friends: Carrom Board & Pool Game-
- Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC
- Chess Rush
- Cleaner: Phone Booster
- Creative Destruction NetEase Games
- Crusaders of Light NetEase Games
- Cut Cut: Cut Out & Photo Background Editor
- Cyber Hunter
- Cyber Hunter Lite
- Dank Tanks
- Dual Space: Multiple Accounts & App Cloner
- Dawn of Isles
- FaceU: Inspire your Beauty
- Fighting Landlords: Free and happy Fighting Landlords
- Gallery HD
- Gallery Vault: Hide Pictures And Videos
- Game of Sultans
- GO SMS Pro: Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji
- HD Camera: Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama
- HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera
- HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera
- Hide App: Hide Application Icon
- Hi Meitu
- HUYA LIVE: Game Live Stream
- LifeAfter
- InNote
- iPick
- Kitty Live: Live Streaming & Video Live Chat
- Knives Out-No rules, just fight!
- Lamour Love All Over The World
- Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese
- Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games
- Little Q Album
- LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers
- Ludo All Star: Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games
- Ludo World-Ludo Superstar
- Mafia City Yotta Games
- Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles
- MARVEL Super War NetEase Games
- Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team
- MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen
- Mobile Legends: Pocket
- Mobile Taobao
- Murderous Pursuits
- Music: Mp3 Player
- Music player: Audio Player
- Music Player: Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
- Music Player: Bass Booster – Free Download
- Music Player: MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
- MV Master: Make Your Status Video & Community
- MV Master: Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor
- Netease News
- Onmyoji NetEase Games
- Parallel Space Lite: Dual App
- Penguin E-sports Live assistant
- Penguin FM
- Photo Gallery HD & Editor
- Photo Gallery & Album
- Pitu
- PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik
- PUBG MOBILE LITE
- Rangers Of Oblivion: Online Action MMO RPG Game
- Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games
- Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade
- Road of Kings- Endless Glory
- Rules of Survival
- ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals
- Sina News
- Small Q brush
- Smart AppLock (App Protect)
- Soul Hunters
- Super Clean – Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster
- Super Mecha Champions
- Tantan – Date For Real
- Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology)
- Tencent Weiyun
- Ulike – Define your selfie in trendy style
- U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate
- Video Player All Format for Android
- Video Player: All Format HD Video Player
- VPN for TikTok
- VPN for TikTok
- VooV Meeting: Tencent Video Conferencing
- Warpath
- Web Browser: Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer
- Web Browser: Secure Explorer
- Web Browser & Fast Explorer
- WeChat reading
- Government WeChat
- WeChat Work
- Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded
- Youku
- ZAKZAK Pro: Live chat & video chat online
- ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app
- Z Camera: Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage
