Government Bans PUBG Mobile Among 118 Mobile Apps, Games in India

PUBG Mobile, Apus Launcher, Rules of Survival, and 115 other Chinese apps and games have been banned in India. The new app ban comes just a little over a month after the government imposed a ban on 47 Chinese apps that followed the blocking of TikTok and 58 other apps in the country. The ban has been imposed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009. The apps banned by the government are claimed to be “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity” of the country.

The IT Ministry released a press statement on Wednesday to announce the latest Chinese apps ban in the country. The statement said that the ban was imposed after receiving “many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India.”

“The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India,” the statement added.

The ministry said that it decided to block the usage of the 118 apps and games using the “sovereign powers” of the central government. Although the banned apps and games including Alipay, Arena of Valor, Knives Out, PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite are still available for download through Apple App Store and Google Play, Apple and Google are likely to pull these apps for Indian users shortly. Telecom operators in the country are also expected to restrict access on the banned apps.

Below is the list of the 118 Chinese mobile apps and games banned by the government.

APUS Launcher Pro- Theme, Live Wallpapers, Smart APUS Launcher -Theme, Call Show, Wallpaper, HideApps APUS Security -Antivirus, Phone security, Cleaner APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020- Junk Cleaner, Anti-Virus APUS Flashlight-Free & Bright Cut Cut – Cut Out & Photo Background Editor Baidu Baidu Express Edition FaceU - Inspire your Beauty ShareSave by Xiaomi: Latest gadgets, amazing deals CamCard - Business Card Reader CamCard Business CamCard for Salesforce CamOCR InNote VooV Meeting - Tencent Video Conferencing Super Clean - Master of Cleaner, Phone Booster WeChat reading Government WeChat Small Q brush Tencent Weiyun Pitu WeChat Work Cyber Hunter Cyber Hunter Lite Knives Out-No rules, just fight! Super Mecha Champions LifeAfter Dawn of Isles Ludo World-Ludo Superstar Chess Rush PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik PUBG MOBILE LITE Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon Dank Tanks Warpath Game of Sultans Gallery Vault - Hide Pictures And Videos Smart AppLock (App Protect) Message Lock (SMS Lock)-Gallery Vault Developer Team Hide App-Hide Application Icon AppLock AppLock Lite Dual Space - Multiple Accounts & App Cloner ZAKZAK Pro - Live chat & video chat online ZAKZAK LIVE: live-streaming & video chat app Music - Mp3 Player Music Player - Audio Player & 10 Bands Equalizer HD Camera Selfie Beauty Camera Cleaner - Phone Booster Web Browser & Fast Explorer Video Player All Format for Android Photo Gallery HD & Editor Photo Gallery & Album Music Player - Bass Booster - Free Download HD Camera - Beauty Cam with Filters & Panorama HD Camera Pro & Selfie Camera Music Player - MP3 Player & 10 Bands Equalizer Gallery HD Web Browser - Fast, Privacy & Light Web Explorer Web Browser - Secure Explorer Music player - Audio Player Video Player - All Format HD Video Player Lamour Love All Over The World Amour- video chat & call all over the world. MV Master - Make Your Status Video & Community MV Master - Best Video Maker & Photo Video Editor APUS Message Center-Intelligent management LivU Meet new people & Video chat with strangers Carrom Friends : Carrom Board & Pool Game- Ludo All Star- Play Online Ludo Game & Board Games Bike Racing : Moto Traffic Rider Bike Racing Games Rangers Of Oblivion : Online Action MMO RPG Game Z Camera - Photo Editor, Beauty Selfie, Collage GO SMS Pro - Messenger, Free Themes, Emoji U-Dictionary: Oxford Dictionary Free Now Translate Ulike - Define your selfie in trendy style Tantan - Date For Real MICO Chat: New Friends Banaen aur Live Chat karen Kitty Live - Live Streaming & Video Live Chat Malay Social Dating App to Date & Meet Singles Alipay AlipayHK Mobile Taobao Youku Road of Kings- Endless Glory Sina News Netease News Penguin FM Murderous Pursuits Tencent Watchlist (Tencent Technology Learn Chinese AI-Super Chinese HUYA LIVE – Game Live Stream Little Q Album Fighting Landlords - Free and happy Fighting Landlords Hi Meitu Mobile Legends: Pocket VPN for TikTok VPN for TikTok Penguin E-sports Live assistant Buy Cars-offer everything you need, special offers and low prices iPick Beauty Camera Plus - Sweet Camera & Face Selfie Parallel Space Lite - Dual App "Chief Almighty: First Thunder BC MARVEL Super War NetEase Games AFK Arena Creative Destruction NetEase Games Crusaders of Light NetEase Games Mafia City Yotta Games Onmyoji NetEase Games Ride Out Heroes NetEase Games Yimeng Jianghu-Chu Liuxiang has been fully upgraded Legend: Rising Empire NetEase Games Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Games Soul Hunters Rules of Survival

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Should the government explain why Chinese apps were banned? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Jagmeet Singh Email Jagmeet Jagmeet Singh writes about consumer technology for Gadgets 360, out of New Delhi. Jagmeet is a senior reporter for Gadgets 360, and has frequently written about apps, computer security, Internet services, and telecom developments. Jagmeet is available on Twitter at @JagmeetS13 or Email at jagmeets@ndtv.com. Please send in your leads and tips. More