The apps were also removed from major app stores, including Google’s Play Store.įree Fire in freefall: In September 2020, the government had banned the hugely popular PUBG Mobile, owned by Tencent.
These included a host of games, including Garena Free Fire Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade Conquer Online and Twilight Pioneers.Ī number of Chinese apps banned in the latest round are “rebranded or rechristened avatars” of apps that have been banned in the country since 2020, officials said. On the list were apps owned by large technology firms such as Alibaba, Tencent and NetEase. “The data of Indians was, however, being ultimately routed to Chinese servers, which is why these apps have been banned,” the official said.Ĭatch up quick: On Monday, the government banned 54 Chinese apps, terming them a threat to national security.The apps have also been changing ownership and are being hosted out of countries such as Singapore or Hong Kong to evade the bans.
#TIMING APP CHINA SERIES#
There have been a series of bans since it is easy for the apps to spring up again with similar names.The government will keep scanning them from time to time,” the official said, asking not to be named. What they said: “Chinese apps are constantly changing names or hosts to access sensitive data of Indians. The Indian government, which announced a fifth round of China-based app bans on Monday, will continue to scrutinise such apps that access data of Indians “through illegal means”, a senior official told us.