Digital Strike: Ban on 230 Mobile Apps

Ever seen an advertisement for an app for a short-term loan or betting app with third-party links? Well, that is exactly on the agenda of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) following the recommendation by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The government of India has started the process to ban about 230 Chinese apps that include 138 betting apps and 94 loan apps on an emergency basis. The government feels the apps could have had access to the personal information of Indian citizens and hence violate Section 69 of the IT Act as they impact the sovereignty and integrity of India.

The decision was taken after a spate of suicides in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as the middlemen appointed by the Chinese would threaten and harass people. Quite a few were threatened that their morphed pictures would be leaked online.

The governments of Odisha, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh worked with the central intelligence agencies and then requested the Union Home Ministry to take up the matter. The government has asked the betting and gambling apps to stop advertising as these are banned in most parts of the country. It is also illegal under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, the Cable TV Network Regulation Act 1995, and IT Rules 2021.

Already about 250 apps have been banned by the Indian government like TikTok, PUBG, Xender, Shien, Garena Free Fire, and Camscanner among others.