India bans 118 more mobile apps including PUBG, WeChat

Nearly two months after it banned 59 China-linked apps, the government on Wednesday decided to block 118 mobile apps including PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, WeChat Work and WeChat in

Nearly two months after it banned 59 China-linked apps, the government on Wednesday decided to block 118 mobile apps including PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, WeChat Work and WeChat in view of the information available that they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence and security of India and public order.

The decision came amid border tensions with China in eastern Ladakh.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said in a release that the decision “is a targeted move” to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.

The ministry said it has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have 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 MeitY added.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of Home Ministry has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps.

Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India, the release said.

It said there has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens.

“On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices of above-stated Apps raise serious concerns that these Apps collect and share data in surreptitious manner and compromise personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to security of the State,” it said.

“In the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of the State. And using the sovereign powers, the Government of India has decided to block the usage of certain Apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet-enabled devices,” it added.

The release said the government is 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 118mobile apps since in view of the information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

The banned apps are:

• -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 – CutOut & 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 YottaGames
  -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

Earlier in June this year, 59 apps, most of which were Chinese, had been banned by the Centre in view of the information available that they are engaged in activities which are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity and defence” of the country.

Almost all the apps banned had some preferential Chinese interest and the majority had parent Chinese companies. (ANI)

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