Report on Supply Chain Compliance 3, no. 14 (July 23, 2020)
Following a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese forces along the Himalayan border area,[1] India’s government decided on June 29 to ban 59 Chinese apps. The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a news release[2] explaining that the apps were engaged in activities that threatened India’s national sovereignty and were therefore banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
According to the news release, Indian cybersecurity authorities, home affairs authorities and concerned citizens have raised the questions of Chinese espionage via these apps, which helped lead to the ban. The full list of banned apps includes popular video-sharing and communications apps such as TikTok and WeChat, along with games such as Clash of Kings and Mobile Legends.
In related news, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced[3] on July 6 that the U.S. may also ban several Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, due to cybersecurity concerns.
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