Govt bans 54 Chinese apps for security concern about data: Report

India has banned 54 Chinese apps in a new order citing security concerns, according to the Economic Times, in the latest instance of tensions between the two neighbours locked in a protracted border dispute hurting business dealings.

The ministry of electronics and IT banned the apps for allegedly transferring data of Indians to servers in China and other foreign countries. The apps belong to large China tech firms such as Tencent, Alibaba and NetEase, that are re-branded versions of apps already banned by India in 2020, said the newspaper.

The ministry has asked Google Playstore and other electronic stores to take off these apps. India has since June 2020 banned some 224 Chinese bans for national security reasons, pulling down popular services like TikTok, WeChat and UC News.

"Many of the apps from the stable of Tencent and Alibaba have changed hands to hide ownership,” an unnamed government official was quoted saying in the newspaper’s report.

News agency PTI adds India’s latest ban included Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera, Music Player, Music Plus, Volume Booster, Video Players Media all formats, Viva Video Editor, Nice Video Baidu, AppLock and Astracraft.

The crackdown came in the backdrop of India's ongoing stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh with China.