India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps over 'security' concerns
India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps over 'security' concerns
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India on Monday banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including the wildly popular TikTok and WeChat, over national security and privacy concerns two weeks after a deadly Himalayan border clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Relations between the world’s two most populous nations have been strained following the deaths of 20 Indian troops in hand-to-hand fighting with their Chinese counterparts on the western end of the high-altitude, contested border in mid-June.
The apps "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 government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain apps... This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace."
The statement said the move was taken after the ministry received several complaints alleging theft of users’ data and violations of user privacy.
It was unclear when the ban would come into force.
