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India expands Chinese ban to 118 more apps including PUBG and Tencent as US TikTok deadline looms

Back in June, India began banning Chinese apps like TikTok and WeChat over security and privacy concerns while a border dispute was heating up between the two countries. Now India has added over 100 more Chinese apps to its banned list including PUBG, Tencent, Alipay, and further WeChat apps. The move comes as the US ban of TikTok is approaching in November.

Medianama shared an official statement from the Indian government on the ban extension:

“The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 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 unauthorized 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 IT Ministry said in a statement.

With the 118 new Chinese apps banned by India, the total has grown to 224 after bans in June and July. The new list includes many apps and games that would be unfamiliar to many in the US, but it does include the popular battle royale PUBG (ironically featured by Apple as Epic’s dev account was terminated) as well as Alipay, Tencent Weiyun, and three more WeChat apps.

Notably, the new list of banned apps comes as India and China had another heated standoff over a disputed border.

Sharing more details on the updated banned list, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said the apps were “flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. 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.”

The growing list of Chinese apps banned in India continues as the US is banning TikTok and WeChat. That’s unless — in the case of TikTok — that a sale to a US company happens. Time will tell if the US moves to become more aggressive with the app bans like India in the coming months.

Here’s the full list of the 118 newly banned apps:

  • 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 – Cut Out & 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 Yotta Games
  • 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

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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.


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