Following WeChat, QQ and 59 other apps: Google and Apple's Indian app stores will remove Baidu and Weibo

According to the Times of India, the Indian government has asked Google and Apple app stores in the region to remove Baidu Search and Sina Weibo. People familiar with the matter said that Indian Internet service providers have also been asked to ban the two apps.

The report mentioned, "The two apps were among the 47 new apps banned by the government on July 27," an official familiar with the matter said, adding that the government was considering blocking more apps.

At the end of June this year, the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology announced a ban on 59 Chinese applications including TikTok, WeChat, Eggplant Quick Transfer, UC Browser, WeChat, QQ, Kuaishou and Meitu. The reason for the ban was that the activities of these applications were detrimental to India's sovereignty, defense, national security and public order.

India also mentioned in its statement that these apps have security issues. "At the same time, there are concerns about various aspects related to data security and protecting the privacy of 1.3 billion Indians. Many complaints "from various sources" have pointed out that some of these apps have misused data on Android and iOS systems, stealing user data in an unauthorized manner and secretly transmitting it to servers outside India."

Soon, an official from India's Ministry of Information Technology publicly stated that just a few weeks after banning 59 Chinese mobile applications, India banned another 47 Chinese mobile applications due to concerns about so-called national security and privacy issues.