The Centre has banned 118 mobile applications including the hugely popular mobile gaming app ‘PUBG’. The government banned these apps citing concerns of data security after fresh tensions between India and China in the border area in Ladakh.
According to an official statement released by the Union Ministry of Information and Technology, banned these apps citing section 69A of I-T Act.
Government blocks 118 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, Defence of India, Security of State and Public Order: Govt of India
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2020
PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, PUBG MOBILE LITE, WeChat Work & WeChat reading are among the banned mobile apps. pic.twitter.com/VWrg3WUnO8
The statement said that the banned apps include Baidu, Baidu Express Edition, Tencent Watchlist, FaceU, WeChat Reading and Tencent Weiyun, besides PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite.
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 Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent a recommendation for blocking these malicious apps
Ministry of Information & Technology
Earlier in June, the Centre had banned 59, mostly Chinese, mobile applications such as TikTok, UC Browser and WeChat. Over 275 Chinese apps had been under scrutiny for alleged violation of national security and citizens’ privacy. In total, 224 apps have now been banned by the Indian government.
The popular mobile gaming application PUBG reportedly has over 33 million users in India and clocks in 13 million users per day.
Within less than an hour after the government’s announcement of the ban on the mobile application, netizens expressed their utter shock and sadness over the ban, making #PUBGbanned the top Twitter trend in the world.
Click here to find a list of all 118 banned apps www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1650669