The Centre on Wednesday banned the hugely popular online game Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG, and 117 other Chinese mobile apps amid fresh border tensions with the neighbouring country.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a press release that it had reports to show that the apps were “engaged in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security and the security of state and public order”. The apps have been banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
The Centre added that it had received several reports of misuse of some Android and iOS applications, “for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data” to locations outside India. “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 Centre said.
The government said that the move would ensure the safety of mobile users in the country and protect the Indian cyberspace.
The announcement of the ban came a day after the Ministry of External Affairs said that China once again engaged in provocative military maneuvers along the Line of Actual Control on August 31, even as Indian and Chinese group commanders were in discussions to de-escalate tensions. The ministry said that the Indian side managed to thwart Beijing’s latest attempt to “unilaterally alter the status quo”.
The new escalation in tensions came a day after the Indian Army said its soldiers had thwarted similar “provocative” movements by China’s military on Saturday night in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.
Tensions between India and China escalated after a clash between the two countries’ armies on June 15 in Ladakh’s Galwan valley led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unidentified number of Chinese soldiers.
India has been trying to restrict trade relations with China after the violent clash. The government had banned 59 Chinese apps on June 29, including the hugely-popular TikTok. In July, 47 applications that were clones of the blocked apps were also banned.
Here is the full list of the banned apps
- APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart
- APUS Launcher -Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps
- APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner
- APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus
- APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright
- Cut Cut – Cut Out & Photo Background Editor
- Baidu
- Baidu Express Edition
- FaceU - Inspire your Beauty
- ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals
- CamCard - Business Card Reader
- CamCard Business
- CamCard for Salesforce
- CamOCR
- InNote
- VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing
- Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster
- WeChat reading
- Government WeChat
- Small Q brush
- Tencent Weiyun
- Pitu
- WeChat Work
- Cyber Hunter
- Cyber Hunter Lite
- Knives Out-No rules, just fight!
- Super Mecha Champions
- LifeAfter
- Dawn of Isles
- Ludo World-Ludo Superstar
- Chess Rush
- PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik
- PUBG MOBILE LITE
- Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade
- Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon
- Dank Tanks
- Warpath
- Game of Sultans
- Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos
- Smart AppLock (App Protect)
- Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team
- Hide App-Hide Application Icon
- AppLock
- AppLock Lite
- Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner
- ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online
- ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app
- Music - Mp3 Player
- Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
- HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera
- Cleaner - Phone Booster
- Web Browser & Fast Explorer
- Video Player All Format for Android
- Photo Gallery HD & Editor
- Photo Gallery & Album
- Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download
- HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama
- HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera
- Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer
- Gallery HD
- Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer
- Web Browser - Secure Explorer
- Music player - Audio Player
- Video Player - All Format HD Video Player
- Lamour Love All Over The World
- Amour- video chat & call all over the world.
- MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community
- MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor
- APUS Message Center-Intelligent management
- LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers
- Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game-
- Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games
- Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games
- Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game
- Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage
- GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji
- U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate
- Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style
- Tantan - Date For Real
- MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen
- Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat
- Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles
- Alipay
- AlipayHK
- Mobile Taobao
- Youku
- Road of Kings- Endless Glory
- Sina News
- Netease News
- Penguin FM
- Murderous Pursuits
- Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology
- Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese
- HUYA LIVE – Game Live Stream
- Little Q Album
- Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords
- Hi Meitu
- Mobile Legends: Pocket
- VPN for TikTok
- VPN for TikTok
- Penguin E-sports Live assistant
- Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices
- iPick
- Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie
- Parallel Space Lite - Dual App
- “Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC
- MARVEL Super War NetEase Games
- AFK Arena
- Creative Destruction NetEase Games
- Crusaders of Light NetEase Games
- Mafia City Yotta Games
- Onmyoji NetEase Games
- Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games
- Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded
- Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games
- Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games
- Soul Hunters
- Rules of Survival
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