After Tiktok, India Bans 119 Chinese Apps Over National Security Concerns

In yet another digital strike the Modi government has ordered the removal of 119 Chinese apps from the Google Play Store. These apps, many of which are voice and video chat services, are linked to developers from Hong Kong and China. 

The recently banned apps were all accessible through the Google Play Store in India. Some of the apps had over a million downloads on the Play Store.

Banned Chinese Apps Danger to National Security

According to a recent article, there are worries that these apps could endanger India's sovereignty and national security. This is not the first time that the Indian government started banning Chinese apps; in 2020, India started a digital ban that blocked hundreds of Chinese apps, including well-known ones like Shareit and TikTok.

A report from MoneyControl states that the banned Chinese apps are listed in the Lumen database, which is managed by Harvard University in the U.S. India had already banned over 100 Chinese apps on June 20, 2020, and continued banning more in 2021 and 2022 as part of digital security measures.

Legal Basis for the Ban

The government used IT Act 69A to enforce this ban. Interestingly, some of the banned apps were developed by companies from countries like Singapore, the U.S., the UK, and Australia. The government has restricted public access to these apps. While 15 out of 119 apps have been removed from the Google Play Store, many are still available.

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Banned Chinese Apps

Out of the 119 apps that the Indian government ordered to be blocked, only three were specifically mentioned in the report.

• ChillChat – A video chat and gaming app made by the Singapore-based Mangostar Team. It has over one million downloads and a 4.1-star rating on the Google Play Store.
• ChangApp – A Chinese-developed app created by Blom, also listed among the banned applications.
• HoneyCam – A photo and video app from Australian company Shellin PTY Ltd, which includes content review features like automated filters and manual checks.