Chinese apps ban: 2 more applications blocked in India, to be taken off play store, app store

Two of China’s biggest apps, Weibo and Baidu Search that were dubbed as the alternative to Twitter and Google Search, have been blocked in India and as per reports, they will be pulled out from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

As maintained by TOI, Internet service providers have also been asked to block these two apps. As official source told TOI that weibo and Baidu Search are included in 47 new apps that have been banned by the government of India on 27th July and further added that the government is weighing up a decision to ban more apps.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an account on Weibo but he shut it down in the face of escalating tension between the two heavyweights.

Blocking of these 47 apps follows the government’s earliest decision to ban 59 apps which includes TikTok and other apps like the UC Browser, Helo, Likee, Shareit, WeChat, CamScanner and Mi Community.

These 59 apps were banned on 29th June and then the government added another 47 apps to the ban list, however, on this one the list were not published.

Most apps in this second list of 47 include clones, or lite versions, of some of the apps that were a part of the 59 banned like TikTok Lite, Shareit Lite, CamScanner HD, BioLive Lite, Likee Lite etc.

These applications have been banned for being engaged in activities that are “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

According to Reports, the government is also looking into 275 more Chinese apps that include the likes of PUBG Mobile and ByteDance’s Resso.

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