India gets back at China by blocking 59 Chinese smartphone apps

As border tensions increase between world’s two most populous nations, India on Monday banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including the wildly popular TikTok and WeChat. The apps were banned over national security and privacy concerns after several complaints were received by the ministry alleging theft of users’ data and violations of user privacy. It was unclear when the ban would come into force.

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.

Read also: Three Indian troops killed in first ‘violent faceoff’ on Chinese border since 1975

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours 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.

Source: Dawn