Indian ban on Chinese apps made permanent

India’s ministry of electronics and information technology has issued fresh notices to make permanent a ban imposed on video app TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps in June.

When it first imposed the ban, the Indian government gave the 59 apps a chance to explain their position on compliance with privacy and security requirements, the Times of India reported.

The companies, which include ByteDance’s popular video-sharing app TikTok, Tencent Holdings’ WeChat and Alibaba’s UC Browser, were also asked to respond to a list of questions, the newspaper said.

“The government is not satisfied with the response/explanation given by these companies. Hence, the ban for these 59 apps is permanent now,” Livemint newspaper quoted a source familiar with the notices, which were issued last week.

The ministry’s June order stated that the apps were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”

The order, which India referred to as a “digital strike,” followed a skirmish with Chinese troops at a Himalayan border site.

In September, India banned another 118 mobile apps.

A TikTok representative told the Economic Times newspaper that the company was evaluating the notice and will respond to it as appropriate.

Candid border talks

Meanwhile, the ninth round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point on Sunday, a joint press release said.

The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of China-India border areas, the release said.

Both sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding, and agreed to push for an early disengagement of the front-line troops.