Due to rising tension between India and China following the June 15 clashes at Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers died in action and more than 70 were injured, The Centre has blocked 59 apps with Chinese links that included the hugely popular apps like TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser. Sources say that inputs from intelligence agencies suggested that the apps have been violating the terms of usage, compromising users privacy, and being used as spyware or malware. Within minutes of the announcement, the Indian government’s TikTok account MyGov, which had 1.1 million followers, was disabled.⠀
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This initiative comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has given a “befitting response” to China. He also spoke of the countrywide call for boycott of Chinese goods, juxtaposing it against the government’s “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” campaign. “We will buy local and be vocal for local and this will help India become stronger,” he said.⠀
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The government said the apps were blocked “in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.⠀
Last modified: July 1, 2020
