GOOGLE BLOCK DOZENS, Of Chinese Apps Just As Apple!

THE iOS GIANT AND GOOGLE BLOCK DOZENS OF CHINESE APPS IN INDIA

Following New Delhi’s order, iOS giant and Google block dozens of apps developed by Chinese firms. This comes just after two days India blocked 59 apps developed by Chinese companies, while in a bid to comply with India’s order, the two tech giants have taken a proactive measure to prevent India users from accessing the subject apps.

Based on this development, some developers such as ByteDance instead of letting these tech giants do the blocking, have voluntarily made their apps inaccessible in India according a source. However, it was also figured out that apps like UC Browser, Club Factory, Shareit including other apps blocked by India are no longer listed in Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. While in a bid to review New Delhi’s interim order, Android giant – Google made it clear via a spokesperson that the company had “temporarily blocked access to the apps”.

To ascertain how serious the Indian government is towards ensuring these apps from Chinese firms aren’t accessible, earlier this week, the country’s Department of Telecommunications ordered telecom networks and internet service providers to block access to those 59 apps “effective immediately”. It was also figured out that websites of most of these apps have also been inaccessible in India.

An Indian firm had earlier developed an app known as “Remove Chinese App” that was removed from Google Play Store, but the latest move from Indian authority has resulted in Apple and Google blocking dozens of Chinese apps. With the two Asian giants currently faced with Himalayan border dispute which led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers, but China declined to mention if it suffered any casualty. The blocking of 59 Chinese apps in addition to TikTok was viewed as retaliation which India claimed is a result of national security concerns.

Also, the latest move from U.S. duo (Apple and Google) added to Chinese apps woe and this based on the fact that the two software giants (iOS and Android) currently power nearly every smartphone in the world.

In view of this, India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT alleged that the subject apps were practically “compiling, mining and profiling” users’ data which it claim pose a serious threat to “national security and defence of India”. However, the executives of these app companies have been invited by Indian authority with the aim of giving them an opportunity to provide answers to concerns.

These apps companies did expand their presence in India in the last decade, and as a result, TikTok had amassed 200 million users in India, and as such, its biggest overseas market. Although, TikTok’s chief executive ‘Kevin Mayer’ had on Wednesday made it clear that his app was in compliance with Indian privacy and security requirements and hopes to meeting various stakeholders.

In another dimension, a Chinese social network ‘Weibo’ confirmed on Thursday that it had deleted Indian Prime Minister ‘Narendra Modi’s’ account at the request of the Indian embassy.

What is your take as Apple and Google blocks dozens of Chinese apps?