Google issues first response on India's 59 Chinese-origin app-ban; 'developers notified'

Issuing its first response on banning of 59 Chinese-linked apps by India, Google on Thursday said it has temporarily blocked access to those apps that were still available on Play Store in India after government banned m this week.

'We have tified affected developers'

"While we continue to review interim orders from Government of India, we have tified affected developers and have temporarily blocked access to apps that remained available on Play Store in India," a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying by news ncy PTI.

However, spokesperson did t disclose details of apps that Google had blocked. According to PTI sources, developers of many of 59 banned apps had taken down ir apps from Google Play Store voluntarily.

India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok, UC Browser, SHAREit and WeChat, saying y were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of country. TikTok was amongst first mobile apps that vanished from Google Play Store after ban. Soon after, popular apps like SHAREit, UC Browser, Shein, Club Factory among ors were taken down. 

'It was a digital strike'

Republic World on Thursday checked about availability of se apps on Play Store and found that apps like Weibo, ES File Explorer, Viva Video (Lite version), Likee (Lite version), YouCam Makeup, QQ are still available and can be downloaded. However, it is unclear wher available apps provide full services at back-end, or via subsidiary applications or extensions.

Calling ban on Chinese apps a "digital strike", Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said India wants peace, but if someone casts an evil eye, country is capable of giving a befitting reply.

Addressing a virtual rally in Bengal, Prasad said, "We banned Chinese apps to protect data of countrymen; it was a digital strike."

READ | 59 Chinese apps-ban 'a digital strike': IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad eyes opportunity

READ | Bahraich MLA to give free face masks to those deleting Chinese apps from mobile phones

'Immediate concern which requires emergency measures'

Information Techlogy Ministry in a statement said it 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 unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India".

" compilation of se data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," statement said.

READ | Nusrat Jahan urges sensitivity towards TikTok content creators after China-origin app ban

READ | 54 out of 59 Chinese apps taken down from Google Play Store after India's ban; list here

(With ncy inputs)