Why TikTok and other Chinese Apps were banned?

New Delhi: The Government of India has banned 59 Chinese mobile phone applications, including TikTok, SHAREit and UC Browser. The decision was taken on the basis of information that the apps were engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.

The Ministry of Information Technology had 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 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, the Government said in a statement.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs had also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. The Ministry had also received many representations raising concerns from citizens regarding the security of data and risk to privacy relating to the operation of certain apps, it said.

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) had also received many representations from citizens regarding the security of data and breach of privacy impacting upon public order issues.