China said today that it is concerned that the Indian government is blocking 59 predominantly Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, and is “checking” the situation.
“China is very concerned,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, quoted by ANI. He also told reporters during a daily briefing that India has a responsibility to defend the rights of Chinese companies, according to Reuters.
In addition to the popular video sharing app from Bytedance, TikTok and WeChat from Tencent, the apps blocked by the government last night include the Alibaba UC browser and two of the Xiaomi apps.
The applications are “detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defense of India, the security of the state and public order,” said the Ministry of Technology. information. Google and Apple have removed these apps from the Playstore and the App Store.
The companies were invited to provide clarification before a government panel, which will decide whether the ban can be lifted or whether it will remain.
TikTok said it was following government orders and “it continues to comply with privacy and data security requirements under Indian law”.
In a statement this morning, he also said that he had not shared any user information in India with “any foreign government, including the Chinese government” and “if asked in the future, we will not wouldn’t. “
The decision to ban certain applications “is a targeted measure to guarantee the security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace,” said the Ministry of Information Technology. The department said it has received complaints alleging the theft of user data and breaches of user privacy.
India is the main driver of the TikTok app and the ban should be a big stumbling block for its owner Bytedance, who planned to invest $ 1 billion in the country.
Anti-Chinese sentiment has been simmering in India since the June 15 clash in Ladakh, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the line of duty. There have been calls to ban Chinese companies, which have reportedly exported nearly $ 60 billion worth of goods to India.
