Banning Chinese apps

The Centre's decision to ban 59 Chinese mobile apps, especially those who belonging to Chinese companies, citing security concerns is a bold and laudable act. After the State-owned telecom companies decided to snub Chinese vendors for their network upgradation tenders, the Government has come up with the first and important retaliatory move against China by banning 59 mobile applications, including the hugely popular TikTok. The move has come amid the tense border stand-off between the armies of India and China in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh . The step can be seen as a virtual strike as apps like - TikTok, UC Browser, Shareit, Sweet Selfie , Likee, Clash of Kings, Shein and Cam Scanner had a huge consumer following in India. The IT Ministry has acted after receiving several reports about misuse of some apps for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting user's data to servers located outside India. Intelligence agencies had already red-flagged the Chinese apps as a threat to national security. The ban on apps may not look a strong retaliation to unsettle China, for it would hardly affect the country's business. But the ban will certainly cause ripples in the consumer segment and mobile phones from China as these apps are important components in their ecosystem. Many nations have unknowingly fallen to the bait set by China in trade and other sectors but now they have started realizing their blunder of being careless, incautious and impetuous.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog, Barpeta