Centre Bans 59 Mobile Apps Which Are Prejudicial To Sovereignty & Integrity Of India

June 30, 2020

The Government of India on Monday has Banned 59 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. #TikTok #WeChat #Shareit #Vigovideo #Bigolive apps are in the list too which are totally banned.

In a Press Release dated June 19, the Ministry of Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps so as to safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.

The Press Release further states that the “the Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India. 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.”

It has also been stated that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an “exhaustive recommendation” for blocking these malicious apps. Moreover the Ministry has also received many representations raising concerns from citizens regarding security of data and risk to privacy relating to operation of certain apps.

Furthermore the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) has also received many representations from citizens regarding security of data and breach of privacy impacting upon public order issues.

Hence upon receiving of recent credible inputs that such Apps pose threat to sovereignty and integrity of India, the Government of India has decided to disallow the usage of certain Apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices.

The Ministry has ensured that this move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users and is targeted to safeguard the safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.

The apps which have been banned are as follows: