In a big development, Indian government on late Monday evening announced a ban on operation of 59 Chinese apps including popular apps like TikTok and UC Browser. This is a breaking story and further details are still awaited.
‘TikTok’ and ‘59 Chinese apps’ are currently trending on Twitter. Twitter is also flooded with the list that includes the names of all the 59 Chinese apps that have been banned by the Indian government.
The screenshot of this list has been posted below. However, this list has not been verified and confirmed by the Indian government. Therefore the authenticity of this list is still disputed.
When we last checked the Google Play Store, the TikTok app was still available for download. However, Google will most certainly remove TikTok and other Chinese apps from its play store in next one or two days following the latest government orders.
Over the last few days, the Indian government has been facing immense pressure to take tough action against Chinese companies and brands in the aftermath of the recent border clash between Indian and Chinese armies. 20 Indian soldiers were martyred during this border clash.
This is the second time that TikTok has been banned in India. Last year, Google was forced to remove the popular video-sharing app from its play store following the Supreme Court orders. However, this ban was later revoked and TikTok app was back in full swing. In fact, TikTok app was among the most downloaded apps in India during the lockdown period.