Government orders ban on 119 apps on Google Play Store on national security ground; most apps linked to China and HongKong

TOI Tech Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Feb 20, 2025, 12:19 IST

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The government has blocked 119 mobile apps, including those linked to Chinese developers, citing national security concerns under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Several apps from Singapore, the US, the UK, and Australia are also affected. Notably, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has not detailed the specific security issues.

Government orders ban on 119 apps on Google Play Store on national security ground; most apps linked to China and HongKong

The government has reportedly issued orders to block 119 mobile apps, primarily video and voice chat platforms linked to Chinese and Hong Kong developers. According to a report in Moneycontrol that quotes a now deleted listing on the Harvard University-operated Lumen Database. The ban comes after the year 2020, when the government implemented similar bans on popular Chinese apps including TikTok and ShareIt, citing national security concerns. On June 20, 2020, the Indian government banned almost 100 Chinese apps. Similar bans on Chinese and China-linked apps followed in 2021 and 2022 as well; but in much smaller numbers.
The blocking orders, reportedly issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, also affect some apps from Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Section 69A empowers the central government to restrict public access to online content for national security and public order reasons. Officials told the publication that orders under the same are confidential.

Majority of apps are still available for download, but may ..

MoneyControl reports that the majority of the apps remain available to download, and only 15 apps have been removed from the Google Play Store so far.
Of the 119 apps ordered to be blocked by the Indian government, only three were specifically identified in the report. ChillChat, a Singapore-based video chat and gaming platform developed by Mangostar Team, boasts over one million downloads and a 4.1-star rating on the Google Play Store. The Chinese-developed ChangApp, created by Blom, was also named among the affected applications. The third identified app, HoneyCam, is operated by Australian company Shellin PTY Ltd and features content review mechanisms including automated filtering and manual oversight.

Three affected developers told MoneyControl they learned about the ban through Google and expressed willingness to work with Indian authorities to address concerns. ChillChat, a Singapore-based app with over one million downloads, reported that the blocking would significantly impact their Indian users' daily communications and entertainment activities.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has not publicly disclosed specific security concerns related to these applications. Google's disclosure on the Lumen Database, which was published on February 18 but has since been deleted, did not specify the timeline for enforcing the remaining blocks.

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