Posted on 06/29/2020 10:14:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
New Delhi: The Centre has blocked 59 apps with Chinese links that included the hugely popular TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser, amid a huge economic backlash against China following the June 15 clashes at Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers died in action.
Sources said 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 milliorn followers, was disabled. The move 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.
In a statement this evening, 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."
The statement from the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology said it had received an "exhaustive recommendation" from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The ministry said it also received representations from people on "security of data and risk to privacy" regarding certain apps.
"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. At the same time, there have been raging concerns on aspects relating to data security
(Excerpt) Read more at ndtv.com ...
We don’t need a government mandate to do what India is doing, eliminating Chinese spying apps on our phones. We just need to understand that the UNITED STATES IS IN A DIGITAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WAR WITH CHINA.
FTA: “The Centre has blocked 59 apps with Chinese links that included the hugely popular TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser ... Sources said 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.”
China blocks US apps. Blocking Chinese apps would only return the favor.
RE: We don’t need a government mandate to do what India is doing, eliminating Chinese spying apps on our phones.
That’s why the USA will be vulnerable to spyware, our user base is a free-for-all, where anybody can just download any App from anywhere, anytime.
Can we do same in US?
some 5G topics:
Well done India.
Why the he(ck) don’t we do this?
Wow. 1 billion+ audience cut off just like that.
Tech Ping
The US will have to do the same eventually. WHY NOT TODAY?!?!?
Now they can't move forward without risking a costly shooting war and casualties, and retreating would make them lose face.
On top of that, the Indian government, with the support of and pressure from a very angry population, is reviewing every single trade item/issue, and everything is falling under a global scrutiny like these tech products.
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