Global Times recently reported, based on Reuters and several Indian media reports, that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India officially announced the permanent ban of 59 Chinese apps, including massively popular apps like TikTok, Baidu, WeChat and UC Browser. The Indian authorities expressed dissatisfaction after they received the compliance plans from Chinese app vendors, especially in the areas of data collection and consumer privacy protection. This dissatisfaction is what triggered the permanent ban. Since June of last year, the Indian government has taken “unprecedented” actions on 267 Chinese apps over several rounds, citing national security concerns. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the latest development expressing “serious concern.” China also accused India of violating market economy principles and WTO rules. The Chinese Embassy in India also showed a strong position against India’s action taken in the name of national security. After the news broke, some Chinese vendors like TikTok announced their Indian lay-off plans.
Source: Global Times, January 26, 2021
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