India’s IT ministry bans 43 apps. It applies regardless of the operating system. This means that the number of apps blocked in the world’s second largest country has risen to 219. As a rule, Chinese operators are behind the offers concerned. The measure was taken because “these apps are involved in activities that are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defense of India, the security of the state and public order.”

The Ministry announced this on Tuesday. At the end of June, India blocked TikTok, WeChat and 57 other apps that send data to China, including several apps from Baidu, QQ and Tencent. At the beginning of September, more 117 were added, including Alipay, a double listed VPN that was specifically committed to circumventing the TikTok ban, and other apps from Baidu, Tencent and WeChat.

This time four apps from the Alibaba group are affected, an application aimed at lesbians, apps for customers such as chauffeurs from the Lalamove delivery service, and various video and entertainment apps, for example. The Indian government fears that “elements that are hostile to the national security and defense of India” will access the data accumulated by the app operators and use it to create profiles about Indians. With the “elements” are meant secret services of the People’s Republic of China, although the official publications of India never state that.

Conflict between billion states India and China are arguing over control of a border area. In June there were skirmishes that claimed dozens of lives. Since April, both sides have deployed tens of thousands of soldiers in the border region.

In addition, China is trying to drag the Kingdom of Bhutan into the conflict. Bhutan has just 800. 000 inhabitants, while India and China each have around 1.4 billion Population.

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