NEW DELHI: India on Monday banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including the wildly popular TikTok and WeChat, over national security and privacy concerns just weeks after a deadly Himalayan border clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
"They are engaged in activities ... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," the ministry of information technology said in a statement.
The step came a few days after a border conflict — leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead — between the neighbours earlier this month.
"The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps," the press release said.
India's Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the step was taken for "safety, security, defence, sovereignty & integrity of India".
Here are the applications that India has banned:
TikTok
Shareit
Kwai
UC Browser
Baidu map
Shein
Clash of Kings
DU battery saver
Helo
Likee
YouCam makeup
Mi Community
CM Brower
Virus Cleaner
APUS Browser
ROMWE
Club Factory
Newsdog
Beutry Plus
UC News
QQ Mail
Xender
QQ Music
QQ Newsfeed
Bigo Live
SelfieCity
Mail Master
Parallel Space
Mi Video Call - Xiaomi
WeSync
ES File Explorer
Viva Video - QU Video Inc
Meitu
Vigo Video
New Video Status
DU Recorder
Vault- Hide
Cache Cleaner DU App studio
DU Cleaner
DU Browser
Hago Play With New Friends
Cam Scanner
Clean Master - Cheetah Mobile
Wonder Camera
Photo Wonder
QQ Player
We Meet
Sweet Selfie
Baidu Translate
Vmate
QQ International
QQ Security Center
QQ Launcher
U Video
V fly Status Video
Mobile Legends
DU Privacy