Government plans ban on PubG, 273 other apps after the action against 59 Chinese apps || Ban Android Games

Government plans ban on PubG, 273 other apps after the action against 59 Chinese apps

 

Following last month 's ban on TikTok and 59 other Chinese apps, the government has created a new list of apps to examine whether they pose a risk to national security or privacy.

 

This time, the Center has kept 275 Chinese apps on the radar, including PubG, Zili, Resso, AliExpress, and ULike, according to the Economic Times report. Apps from other Chinese internet and tech majors like Meitu, LBE Tech, Perfect Corp, Sina Corp, Netease Games, Yoozoo Global are also on the list.

 

Although PubG videogame was developed by a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Bluehole, it is also supported by China's most valuable internet major Tencent. On the other hand, Zili is owned by Xiaomi, Resso, and ULike by TikTok, owner of ByteDance, and AliExpress by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

 

India is the biggest market for PubG. According to estimates by Sensor Tower, PubG has generated about 17.5 crore installations to date.

 

The daily said that either there would be a ban on all 275 Chinese apps or none at all. Chinese internet companies have around 300 million unique users in India. Citing a government official, the daily addition of the above-mentioned apps has been red-flagged for security reasons, while others have been listed for breach of data sharing and privacy concerns. Besides, the Government is examining the alleged flow of data from these apps to China, which poses a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)sent 77 questions to the 59 banned Chinese apps. The Center asked questions such as whether they censored content, worked on behalf of foreign governments, or engaged influencers, among others. The Ministry also gave these companies three weeks to respond, i.e. the first week of August.

 

On June 29, the Center banned 59 Chinese-linked apps, including TikTok, Shein, UC Browser, and BeautyPlus, saying they were detrimental to the sovereignty, integrity, and security of the country. Last week, it wrote a letter to Chinese firms warning that the continued availability and operation of these prohibited apps was, directly or indirectly, an offense under the IT Act and other applicable laws.