India Might Ban 275 More Apps, Including AliExpress, PubG, Resso
The earlier move to ban 59 foreign apps was just the beginning.
India may extend its ban on up to 275 more apps with a connection to China after it investigates potential user privacy and national security violations.
As reported by The Economic Times, New Delhi has drawn up a list of the Chinese apps still operating after the ban on 59 foreign apps last month that it will analyze. These include major apps like AliExpress, owned by Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA), Tencent-backed gaming app PubG and livestreaming platform Kuaishou, Xiaomi's Zili, and ByteDance's music streamer Resso. World's top video-sharing app TikTok was among those cut in the first round.
A source familiar with the matter told The ET, "The government may ban all, some or none from the list."
The first crackdown on Chinese apps occurred in late June as a result of a violent border conflict. A confrontation at the India-China border in the Himalayas left 20 Indian military personnel and an unknown number of Chinese dead. India responded to the clash with a boycott on Chinese goods – and on Chinese presence in mobile phones.
New Delhi stated at the time, "This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace."
Other Chinese app operators on the new list are NetEase (Nasdaq: NTES), Sina Corp. (Nasdaq: SINA), and Meitu Inc. (HKEX: 01357). Foreign apps not of Chinese origin but backed by China, like Helsinki-based gaming company Supercell, also made the list.
