-Yatharth Sikka
Ministry of Information and Technology banned 118 mobile applications, including widely popular game among teenagers PUBG.
118 apps have been banned by the ministry, as per the central government, these apps were engaged in activities that are prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and national security.
“The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and because of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 118 mobile apps (see Appendix) since because of information available they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order” the ministry said in an official release.
PUBG : Livik, PUBG MOBILE LITE, WeChat Work & WeChat reading are among the 118 banned mobile apps.
“The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the 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. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of profound and immediate concern which requires emergency measures”. said the ministry in a release.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent a specific recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the available space to take strict action against Apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens.
On the basis of these and upon receiving of recent credible inputs that information posted, permissions sought, functionality embedded as well as data harvesting practices of above-stated Apps raise serious concerns that these Apps collect and share data surreptitiously and compromise personal data and information of users that can have a severe threat to the security of the State.
“In the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of the State. And using the sovereign powers, the Government of India has decided to block the usage of certain Apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet-enabled devices” the minstry added.
This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace.
It is noted that in june only Indian govt. has banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok, UC Browser, Weibo.
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