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The latest batch of banned apps are said to include those operated by Chinese tech giants as well as “rebranded or rechristened avatars” of apps

The likes of TikTok, CamScanner, PUBG and others were ejected from app stores in India in 2020 

Popular games such as Battlegrounds Mobile India and Free Fire Max continue to be available in India despite reports of a ban 

The Indian government has reportedly banned 54 more apps and games of Chinese origin, with publishers and tech giants such as Tencent, Alibaba, NetEase and others seemingly impacted by this latest crackdown.

The latest batch of banned apps are said to include those operated by Chinese tech giants as well as “rebranded or rechristened avatars” of apps that have been banned in India since 2020, when the likes of PUBG, TikTok, CamScanner and others were ejected from app stores in India.

According to ANI, the 54 Chinese apps include Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera – Selfie Camera, Equalizer & Bass Booster, CamCard for SalesForce Ent, Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite, Viva Video Editor, Tencent Xriver, Onmyoji Chess, Onmyoji Arena, AppLock, Dual Space Lite.

Why Were The Apps Banned?

An ET report claims that the ministry of electronics and IT issued the ban order as these 54 apps were transferring sensitive data of Indian users to servers in China and other foreign countries.

It also says that the government has taken cognizance of banned apps being available as installation files or APKs for Android devices. How exactly it is doing this is unclear. Modified versions of PUBG and TikTok have been available ever since they were banned from India in 2020.

“Many of the apps from the stable of Tencent and Alibaba, have changed hands to hide ownership. They are also being hosted out of countries like Hong Kong or Singapore, but the data was ultimately going to servers in Chinese destinations,” an official is quoted as saying.

Which Apps Have Been Banned In 2022?

Among the apps banned are selfie apps such as Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera – Selfie Camera, audio and video enhancement tools such as Equalizer & Bass Booster and Viva Video Editor, as well as utilities such as CamCard for SalesForce Ent, AppLock, Dual Space Lite. Games such as Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite,  Onmyoji Chess, Onmyoji Arena have also reportedly been banned.

A cursory search on the Google Play Store this morning (February 14, 2022) shows that popular games such as Battlegrounds Mobile India and Free Fire Max continue to be available in India. The government has not stated anything officially yet, with a notification expected to come from the relevant ministries soon, as per reports.

Another Wave Of Chinese App Bans?

In June 2020, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese mobile apps in India, including TikTok, UC Browser, ShareIT, ES FileExplorer, Clash Of Kings, Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Shein among others on the grounds of threat to sovereignty and security of the country. Then in July it banned another 47 apps that were operating as the clones of the 59 Chinese apps banned the previous month.

In August 2020, the government had barred the ‘pro’ or ‘lite’ versions of TikTok and fellow ByteDance app Helo that were banned in June. Then in September, the government announced a ban on gaming sensation PUBG and 117 other mobile applications, including Baidu, Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games, Soul Hunters, Rules of Survival amongst others.

The ban came on the back of rising geopolitical tensions between India and China , after border clashes between the two armies in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June 2020. While it is not clear which apps have been banned in the 2022 crackdown, there is a major geopolitical threat this time around too with the situation in Ukraine and Russia’s advances.

India is the largest market for mobile apps and games outside of China. India had the second-highest number of mobile app downloads in the world in 2022, with over 27 Bn downloads coming from the country, whereas the United States only clocked 12.2 Bn app downloads, according to App Annie.