Skip to content

Indian Government Bans Its Citizens From Accessing 43 More Chinese Apps

  • World

Brexit Deal ‘Down to Political Will’ From UK, Says Irish PM

The prime minister of Ireland—where the impact of a Brexit deal will be felt most keenly within the European Union—says he hopes the outline of a free-trade deal between the UK and the EU will emerge by the end of the week. The fate of the deal rests on UK political will, he said. Talks started up again on Monday, albeit online, with the EU’s chief negotiator saying that “fundamental divergences remain.” In just six weeks the UK will sever ties with the trading bloc, regardless of whether a deal has been struck or not. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he had received a sense of progress from both negotiating teams. “I would be hopeful that, by the end of this week, that we could see the outlines of a…

Indian Government Bans Its Citizens From Accessing 43 More Chinese Apps

NEW DELHI—The Indian government banned 43 more Chinese apps on Nov. 24 saying they are “prejudicial” to India’s sovereignty and integrity.

“This action was taken based on the inputs regarding these apps for engaging in activities that are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state, and public order,” the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a release on Tuesday.

The Ministry said the decision was taken based on comprehensive reports from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Government is committed to protecting the interests of citizens and the sovereignty and integrity of India on all fronts and it shall take all possible steps to ensure that,” said the Indian administration.

The country has so far banned 267 Chinese apps, with 59 banned in June after the bloody conflict with China in Galwan, 47 in late July, and another 118 in September during heightened border tensions.

The Chinese apps banned on Tuesday from immediate access include: AliSuppliers Mobile App, Alibaba Workbench, AliExpress-Smarter Shopping, Better Living, Alipay Cashier, CamCard, and many dating apps like Soul-Follow the soul to find you, Chinese Social-Free Online Dating Video App & Chat, Date in Asia-Dating & Chat For Asian Singles, WeDate-Dating App, Free dating app-Singol, start your date!, Adore App, TrulyChinese-Chinese Dating App, TrulyAsian-Asian Dating App, and other media apps.

The popular apps banned earlier include Tiktok, UC Browser, Baidu, PUBG Mobile Nordic Map, and WeChat Work.

Indian Government Bans Its Citizens From Accessing 43 More Chinese Apps Members of the City Youth Organization hold posters with the logos of Chinese apps in support of the Indian government for banning the wildly popular video-sharing TikTok app, in Hyderabad, India, on June 30, 2020. (Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images)

“Cynics may argue that banning digital apps does nothing to real intrusions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said Gautam Chikermane, the Vice President of Observer’s Research Foundation, an Indian think tank in an analysis published on Wednesday.

“They ignore the fact that tech intrusions by Xi Jinping’s ambitions are as dangerous to the privacy and data security of citizens as hostile attempts at the border. If anything, it is a digital copy-paste of Beijing’s territorial aggression and intent,” said Chikermane adding that while India and the United States have started dealing with Chinese digital intrusion, the rest of the world must follow suit.

He said those who are unconvinced of the CCP’s ploy to convert “every entity, from companies to citizens to apps into spies” should go through the Articles 7, 9, 12, and 14 of China’s National Intelligence Law (2017).

China’s National Intelligence Law calls for “unified leadership for national intelligence efforts” and says that all citizens and organizations should “support and assist” its efforts. It provides for “commendations and awards” to those who contribute to the intelligence efforts.

“It’s not just India, CCP’s aggression is being rejected with bans across the world—13 countries in the EU and Europe, from the UK and Italy to Sweden and Czech Republic—are rejecting Beijing’s other tool of tech intrusion: Huawei and ZTE in their 5G rollouts. These bans, on Chinese apps as well as Chinese equipment across the world, will continue,” said Chikermane.

Follow Venus on Twitter: @venusupadhayaya

Focus News: Indian Government Bans Its Citizens From Accessing 43 More Chinese Apps

Kirkup to Step up as the Youngest Leader of WA Liberals

The 33-year-old Member of Parliament Zak Kirkup will become the youngest West Australian Liberal leader in 20 years as his rival pulled out shortly before the party room meeting. Kirkup’s opponent, former cabinet minister Dean Nalder, announced his withdrawal in a statement released on Tuesday, saying it was clear that the numbers were not on his side, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It has become apparent that I don’t have the majority support of my parliamentary colleagues and therefore will clear a path for the new leader,” Nalder told AAP. “I have been humbled at the level of support from my electorate and the wider community.” Kirkup’s victory means the Liberal party would welcome its youngest leader since Matt Birney’s short-lived reign in the mid-2000s. “I think anyone should judge a…