Indian Government Bans 138 Chinese Betting Apps and 94 Loan Apps

Chinese apps are in the line of fire yet again, as the Indian government has ordered a ban on 138 betting apps and 94 loan apps originating from China. According to reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) decided to block these apps on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Government Cracks Down on Betting and Loan Apps

It is reported that the Indian government started scrutinizing 288 Chinese apps around six months back, following complaints of extortion and harassment. The analysis unearthed that these apps accessed the private data of Indian users.

According to an ANI report, these apps violate Section 69 of the IT Act since they include material which pose a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of India. "The order to block 138 apps that were involved in betting, gambling and money laundering were issued last evening. Separately, an order to block 94 apps engaged in unauthorized loan service has also been issued," an official told PTI. The source added, "These apps were being operated from offshore entities, including Chinese. They were posing a threat to the economic stability of the country."

The government ban on such Chinese apps was put into motion following complaints of extortion and harassment by affected users. These individuals reportedly took small loans via sketchy mobile apps and were tormented when they were unable to repay the debt.

It is reported that such apps originated from China and hired Indians as part of the operation. These apps took advantage of distressed individuals who were looking for a loan and hiked the interest by up to 3,000 percent yearly. The woeful tale doesn't end here, as the operators proceeded to harass debtors by sending lewd messages and threatening to release morphed photos to their contacts.

The government of India has issued an advisory stating that advertising such betting platforms is illegal under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Cable TV Network Regulation Act 1995 and the IT Rules, 2021. Last year, the government had banned 54 Chinese apps including TikTok, Garena Free Fire, AppLock, and others, citing security concerns.