Indian government bans 59 prominent Chinese apps; TikTok, Mi Community, UC Browser, and more affected

Indian intelligence agencies had flagged a total of 52 Chinese apps for suspicious activities in the wake of escalating tensions between the two countries. The Indian government has gone one step ahead and banned several prominent Chinese apps from the Google Play Store and App Store.

Bytedance-owned TikTok is undoubtedly the largest app at the receiving end of the Indian government's banhammer. The video-sharing app has long been at the center of privacy concerns and even lawsuits. Some of the other prominent apps on the list include online strategy game Clash of Kings, Tencent-owned instant messaging platform WeChat, video-sharing app Likee, and the official Mi Community app. Interestingly enough, Tencent-owned PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile are not on the list. Refer to the attached image to find the complete list of apps.

The Indian government's order goes into effect immediately. Although some of the app's Play Store listings are still up, it won't be long before they're gone. The App Store should follow suit soon. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) has ordered all major broadband and telecom providers to block access to said apps, effectively disallowing users who have said apps installed on their devices from using them.