List of Chinese Apps Banned in India

On February 14, 2022, the Government of India blocked 54 Chinese apps citing threats to national security and privacy & espionage concerns. The 54 apps banned list includes some renowned names. The Centre said the 54 apps were clones of Chinese apps blocked earlier for collecting sensitive user data but returned with new names.

Earlier, the Government of India had issued a list of Chinese apps banned in India 2021 following no end to the simmering tensions with the Chinese PLA at the LAC in Ladakh. Here, we have provided all the information about apps getting banned in India.

Number of Apps Getting Banned in India

Over privacy and security concerns, as many as 267 apps were blocked in 2020. The action also followed the deadly Galwan Valley clash between the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA. Then Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the action a “digital strike against China.” In 2021, the list of apps getting banned in India included 118 apps, including some really popular apps.

Since the ban, many Indian alternative apps have paved their way into the huge market. To know more about list of Chinese apps banned in India 2021, read the details given below.

Why are Chinese Apps Getting Banned in India?

The 54 apps banned list was made public by the government. The IT ministry said the 54 apps were blocked and banned (in addition to the list of Chinese apps banned in India 2020) for transmitting real-time data to servers located in a “hostile” country, which was using these apps to collect personal data of Indians from mining, collating, analyzing and profile.

The ministry also reported that the data collected by the apps was meant to hurt the sovereignty and integrity of India, and to indulge in activities detrimental to India's national security. Know more about

118 Chinese Apps Banned in India 2021

The “request” for blocking the 54 Chinese apps came from the Union Home Ministry under an emergency provision of the IT Act. The Union Home Ministry said the apps were either cloned versions of previously banned apps or had similar functionality. Here is some more information about Chinese apps getting banned in India:

• The apps getting banned in India were also capable of espionage and surveillance activities via “camera/mic”.
• They could access GPS; also do malicious network activity.
• They had engaged in activities prejudicial to India’s sovereignty and integrity.
• They posed a threat to India’s security and its defence.

List of 118 Apps Banned in India

Some of the more popular Chinese apps that have been blocked and banned included Tencent Xriver, Lost Crusade, Beauty Camera, Equalizer, Music player, Rise of Kingdoms, and Conqueror Online II. The most popular Chinese app, TikTok, had met a similar fate in June 2020, shortly after the Galwan Valley clash, along with 59 other apps. In addition to these, several other popular gaming apps are on the list of Chinese apps banned in India 2020, 10 of which are listed here:

54 Apps Banned List: Further Actions 2020

A month after the TikTok ban, mirror applications were hit for violating the ban. In September 2020, another 118 mobile applications, including the hugely popular PUBG, were blocked for “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner.”

The 54 Chinese apps banned in 2022 threatened India’s security. Their makers had obtained permission to collect sensitive user data. The real-time data thus obtained was transmitted to servers located in a “hostile country.” The Centre cited privacy, security, and espionage concerns for the list of Chinese apps banned in India 2020. Some of the apps were clones of already blocked apps, but worst of all, they had armed themselves with permissions to gather critical user data.

FAQs on Chinese Apps Banned in India

Q.1) How many Chinese apps have been blocked so far?

A: A total of 267 apps in 2020 plus another 54 in 2022, which adds up to 321. The apps getting banned in India includes apps such as TikTok, PUBG, UC Browser, and more such well-known apps.

Q.2) Which kinds of apps did the 54 apps banned list include?

A: The 54 apps banned list ranged from music players to selfie cameras, app locks to notepads, gaming, and video chat. TikTok, PUBG, Wechat, UC Browser, and more were included in the ban list.

Q.3) Can you give a break-up of the Chinese apps getting banned in India?

A: The 54 apps banned list includes many renowned apps. The Indian government banned the following number of apps:

• 59 applications banned on June 29, 2020
• 47 applications banned on August 10, 2020
• 118 applications banned on September 1, 2020
• 43 applications banned on November 19, 2020
• 54 applications banned on February 14, 2022

Q.4) Which apps are banned in India today?

A: there are a lot of chinese apps getting banned in India today. The list of these apps specifically include Gaming titles of Tencent and Netease, TikTok, PUBG, and more.