Why in News ?
Continuing tensions with China, New Delhi on Wednesday banned 118 China Linked App Ban, citing concerns over threats to India’s safety and sovereignty.
About the News
- In June after a faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh the government had banned 59 apps with China links, including TikTok..
- The apps banned include utility apps, popular business card scanning app CamCard, messaging apps like WeChat Work, search engine Baidu and games such as Game of Sultans and Rise of Kingdoms and PUBG.
- The biggest impact of this development will be on Tencent Holdings, which has a number of the banned apps in its portfolio.
Reason for Ban
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources, including misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner, to servers which have locations outside India.
- Also the mining and profiling of the data was a threat to the country’s security and sovereignty.
- PUBG Mobile had earlier drawn criticism for being highly addictive.
- Gujarat State Education Minister requested the Centre to let the state impose a ban on online and mobile games like PUBG.
Acts Empowering Government
Ban has been enforced under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 : Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource.
- Ground clearly mentioned as : Central Government or any of its officers specially authorised by it is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India.
- The notification is expected to be followed by instructions to Internet service providers to block these apps.
Source : Indian Express
Topic
GS III : Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security
Current Affairs Compilation : 3 September 2020