Campaign to boycott China-linked apps picks up speed

TIL Desk/Business/New Delhi/ The border stand-off between India and China has sparked a campaign here that is gaining momentum to boycott Chinese products, including applications like videoconferencing app Zoom, short-video app TikTok, UC Browser, file-sharing app SHAREit, and gaming app PUBG.

This comes weeks after the app “Remove Chinese Apps” tried to tap into a similar sentiment amidst escalating tensions at the border. Besides the boycott campaign, Indian intelligence agencies have red-flagged over 50 China-linked apps as posing a threat to national security. There are concerns that these apps aren’t safe and might be extracting a large amount of data.

Experts said the government can block apps that are perceived to pose a threat to national security. “If they (apps) are fomenting sectarian violence or creating panic by spreading wrong information or propaganda that can incite a rebellion in border states, the government is well within its rights to impose section 69A of the IT Act,” said Blaise Fernandes, director at foreign policy think tank Gateway House.