India banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

The ban, which comes in the backdrop of current stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh with Chinese troops, is also applicable for WeChat and Bigo Live.

This marks the largest sweep against the Chinese technology companies. A formal order asking phone companies to block the applications is being issued.

Which are the apps banned?

TikTok, a video app, was one of the most downloaded apps in 2018 after Facebook and WhatsApp. Jokes, clips and footage related to India’s thriving movie industry dominate the app’s platform, along with memes and videos in which youngsters lip-sync and dance to popular music.

The list of apps that have been banned include Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call  Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein.

TikTok (which has over 200 million users in India), Likee and Vigo Video are popular short video creation platforms, while Club Factory and Shein are e-commerce platforms that were looking at expanding their presence to compete with larger rivals like Myntra.

WeChat is a Chinese multi-purpose messaging and social media app that rivals WhatsApp.

CamScanner is a popular app that allows users to scan images and share them.

SHAREit app allows users to share files between devices, while Helo — a social media platform — is owned by ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok.

Alibaba’s UC Browser is a mobile Internet browser that has been available in India since 2009. It claimed to have registered 1.1 billion user downloads worldwide (excluding China) in September 2019, with half of its global installs from India. It also claimed to have 130 million monthly active users in the country at that time.

The government has also banned a clutch of apps of Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, including Mi Community and Mi Video Call. Xiaomi is India’s largest handset brand.

Why are these apps banned?

The IT ministry said it has invoked its power under section 69A of the IT Act and rules, and has decided to block 59 apps in view of information available that they are “engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

The ministry said it has received many complaints from various sources, including several reports about 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 move will “safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace”, it added.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps, the statement said, adding that 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 citizens.

Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside Parliament.

“On the basis of these and upon receiving recent credible inputs that such apps pose threat to sovereignty and integrity of India, the government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices,” it added.

What does Section 69A of IT Act say?

The Information Technology Act (IT Act), 2000 was enacted with a view to give a fillip to electronic transactions, to provide legal recognition for e-commerce and e-transactions, to facilitate e-governance, to prevent computer based crimes and ensure security practices and procedures. The Act came into force on October 17, 2000.

Section 69A of the Act empowers the government to block any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to above. 

Cybercrime coordination centre

The ministry of home affairs has rolled out a scheme ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’ for the period 2018-2020, to combat cybercrime in the country, in a coordinated and effective manner. 

The scheme to set up I4C was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs. 415.86 crore. 

It has seven components:

* National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit.

* National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.

* Platform for Joint Cybercrime Investigation Team.

* National Cybercrime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem.

* National Cybercrime Training Centre.

* Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit.

* National Cyber Research and Innovation Centre.

How TikTok reacted to this action?

TikTok said it is in the process of complying with the government’s order on blocking of the app, and asserted that it has not shared information of Indian users with any foreign government, including that of China.

The short video-sharing company said it has been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok added that it continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under the Indian law.

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