275 Chinese Apps Including PUBG On Govt Radar; Are They Getting Banned?

Following the ban of 59 Chinese apps, the Indian Government has listed 275 other Chinese apps for evaluation. The list apparently includes Tencent-backed PUBG gaming app, AliExpress, and Xiaomi's Zili. These apps will be examined for any violation of national security and user privacy.

More Chinese Apps Under Radar

The report comes from the Economic Times, which quotes a spokesperson for the union home ministry. "The government may ban all, some or none from the list," the report notes. Going into the details, the authorities are filtering out apps that have Chinese funding, which could be a base for security lapses or violations.

Further, the officials are pointing out apps that might be influenced under China's data-sharing norm, requiring apps of Chinese-origin to share data with their government, irrespective of where they operate. For now, there's been no response from Tencent, Kuaishou, Alibaba, Xiaomi, Bytedance.

Will PUBG Get Banned?

More Chinese apps have come under the radar now and the list includes 12 Mi apps by Xioami, including apps like Capcut and FaceU. Other apps include LBE Tech, Meitu, Sina Corp, Perfect Corp, Yoozoo Global, Netease Games, and more. While these apps have direct Chinese links, there are other apps with Chinese funding on the list.

For instance, Helsinki-based Supercell is also under scrutiny as it has investments by Chinese technology companies. As noted, the list also includes PUBG which gets large funding from Tencent. To note, PUBG has its largest user base in India and is often in the limelight for the alleged rising number of teen suicides linked with the mobile game.

What Next?

The report notes that an official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MeitY) said the center will follow due process before imposing such a ban. "There is a process involved, there is a committee in place for such ban orders," the official said. Once an order is passed, these apps will be banned by MeitY.

Looking back, authorities banned 59 Chinese apps including the popular TikTok on grounds that these were a threat to national security. The move came in strategically after the clash between India and China. India is continuing with the scrutiny of Chinese apps even as tension between the two countries continues to simmer.