Earlier in the evening, in a massive digital strike over neighbors China, the Government of India banned 59 Chinese Apps in the country. Ever since the Ladakh standoff, this move seems to be the first sign of retaliation by the country.
TikTok, UC Browser and ShareIt banned in India
The list of 59 apps announced by the Government includes a few popular applications such as TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, Cam Scanner, and We Chat. The Government cited security reasons for taking the extreme step.
How did Zoom miss the axe?
Zoom is one application that has been criticized in recent times. Said to be the brainchild of Chinese developers, Zoom was under the scanner for its security flaws. However, in the banned- list announced by GOI, this application did not find a place.
The reason for this is because the application is listed on the US Stock Exchange, although there are reports which suggest that the app could be included in the second list. Since there could be reservations on banning an app on the US Stock Exchange, India has not gone ahead with blocking Zoom. However, the US is itself thinking of delisting a few companies, and hence, Zoom could still come under the axe.
Along with Zoom, a few other Chinese apps too were spared from the ban. Among the list of lucky apps are PUBG, App Lock, Live Me, Turbo VPN, and Battle of Empires. Although there were initial rumors that PUBG had also been banned, after the revelation of the list, the air was cleared.
