India's 2nd Digital Strike: 47 More Apps Banned, Most Are Clones Of Chinese-Origin Apps

New Delhi: After India banned 59 apps with Chinese links for engaging in activities which are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity" of the country last month, sources on Monday said that the government has banned 47 more applications. According to sources, these apps are clones of the previously banned apps. An official notification regarding the ban and the list of applications will be released soon, sources added.

The ban came in the backdrop of the stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh with Chinese troops. The 59 apps with Chinese links blocked by the government include TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser. '

Reacting to India's ban of the Chinese apps at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing, spokesman Zhao Lijian said, China is strongly concerned about the relevant notice issued by the Indian side. We are checking and verifying the situation. "I want to stress that the Chinese government always asks the Chinese businesses to abide by international rules, local laws and regulations in their business cooperation with foreign countries," he said.

Following India's move, other countries like Australia and the US are also planning to ban Chinese apps because of the security threat they possess.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said India's surprise move to ban 59 Chinese apps was a "digital strike." "We banned Chinese apps to protect data of countrymen; it was a digital strike," Mr Prasad said at a BJP rally in West Bengal, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Courtesy: Jay Pandya, Republic

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