India Bans 47 Chinese Apps, Lists 250 More

Govt’s action hits at cyber plot of China that allows massive espionage. India is surgically removing apps which let Beijing control, mine data

- Geeta Mohan, Rahul Shrivastava & Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu

In 2017, the Chinese government enacted a national intelligence law, giving itself sweeping powers to control and mine data from companies, mostly with international presence.

It allowed the Communist Party of China (CPC) to monitor and investigate foreign and domestic individuals and institutions.

The law lets intelligence agencies search premises, seize property and mobilise individuals or organisations to carry out espionage.

Intelligence agencies also get legal ground to operate both in and outside China. Violators face detention of up to 15 days, and can be charged with a crime.

Many of these 47 are lite versions or variants of TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps that India blocked in June over national security and user privacy concerns. The list of 250 under the scanner may include highly popular PUBG. More such apps will be picked and thrown out, top government sources have said.

At the centre of India’s latest action lies its efforts to target applications of companies that fall under this law. The government wants to counter China’s cyber plot that allows widespread espionage. It is surgically removing applications that let Beijing control and mine data.

GOVT HAD HINTED

During the G20 Digital Ministers’ Meet on July 22, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said, “Digital economy must go hand in hand with data economy. We need to acknowledge the sovereignty over data. Data must belong to sovereign nation concerned, also to protect the privacy concern of its people.”