India Bans Another 43 Mobile Apps In China Confrontation

India continues to target Chinese software amid its ongoing dispute with China, that has seen its soldiers killed in a disputed region.

According to Reuters, India has now banned another 43 mostly Chinese-origin mobile apps on Tuesday, including Alibaba Group’s e-commerce app Aliexpress.

Other banned apps include a few dating apps, and the technology ministry said in a statement that it had taken the decision as they threaten the “sovereignty and integrity of India”.

Banned apps

India and Chine have been at the centre of escalating tensions since June, after military forces of both countries clashed along the Sino-Indian border, in a disputed Himalayan border location.

Fighting between the two nations in the region resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers (including an officer).

China claimed 43 of its soldiers were hurt.

India then banned 59 Chinese apps, including ByteDance’s TikTok, Alibaba’s UC Browser and Xiaomi’s Mi Community app.

And then in September a further 118, mostly Chinese apps, including Tencent’s popular game PUBG Mobile, were also banned.

India’s argument is that these apps collect and share users’ data and could pose a threat to the state.

India’s technology minister according to Reuters, has referred the app bans as a “digital strike”.

The Chinese embassy in India reportedly said on Wednesday it “resolutely” opposed the ban. Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In August this year, the Taiwanese government announced it was preparing to ban Chinese firms iQiyi and Tencent from operating streaming video services on the island.