Digital strike 2.0 on China: Centre blocks over 232 apps with Chinese links
Sources said that all these apps were found to violate Section 69 of the IT Act and contained material which was deemed as a threat to India’s sovereignity and integrity. The action was reportedly initiated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs
Third-party connections
States such as Telangana, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh as well as central intelligence agencies had then asked the Union Home Ministry to take action against these apps. The government has found that 94 apps are available on e-stores and that others are working through third-party links.
It is learnt that many apps are now not available to download on smartphones but sources say the betting apps and games are being downloaded through independent links or websites.
MHA actions
The MHA had started investigating some Chinese loan giving apps around six months ago. It was revealed that 94 such apps were available on the e-store and operated through third party links.
Around that time, security agencies had asked the Ministry to impose a ban on such betting and loan lending apps. Significantly, the Centre had banned 54 Chinese apps that posed as a threat to the country’s security in 2022.
Here's A Complete List Of Banned Apps:
1. Sports Betting Game - BETUP
2. 3patti Guide
3. Lagai Khai Pro - Betting Game
4. Sports Betting™ the Sportsbook
5. WagerLab Bet on Sports & Props
6. Live Bet Zlive
7. BetNetix: Football Betting
8. Bet On Sports
9. SuperDraft Sportsbook - Prizes
10. Lucky slots -casino VIP
11. Betway - Live Sports Betting
12. 1xBet: sports betting
13. Parimatch: Live Sports Betting
14. 22Bet: Live Sports Betting
15. Cricket: Sports Betting
16. BetWiser - Best Betting Odd
17. Bet On Sports
18. 20Bet
19. Lagai Khai Pro
20. BETUP - Sports Betting Game
21. BetQL - Sports Betting Data
22. Scores And Odds Sports Betting
23. VegasInsider Sports Betting
24. BettingPros: Sports Betting
25. Best Bet Casino™ Slot Games
26. Win2Win
27. TipsterMan - Betting Tips
28. Papel Betting Tips
29. Betting United: Betting Tips
30. Football Betting Tips & Odds
31. Sports Betting Picks & Tip App
32. Onside Sports: Scores, Live Od
33. London Betting Tips
34. Bet Analytix
35. betM - Sports Betting Tool
36. Betting Tips
37. SI - Betting tips
38. Betting Tips
39. BetMines Betting Predictions
40. Betstamp - Sports Betting Hub
41. Virtual Sports Betting Predict
42. SattaMatka Fix Game
43. Play To Win: Win Real Money
44. Sports Betting for Real
45. Pikkit: Sports Bet Tracker
46. myVEGAS Bingo - Bingo Games
47. Bingo Crown - Fun Bingo Games
48. Bingo Crown - Fun Bingo Games
49. Spin for Cash!-Real Money Slot
50. Crash Rocket Gambling
51. Casino Real Money: Win Cash
52. Super Slot - Win Cash
53. Golden Slots
54. Enchanted Island
55. Big Winner - Lucky Wheel
56. Silver Luck
57. Anubis Treasure
58. 3 Lucky Casino
59. Divine Fortune 2
60. Happy 3Patti
61. DoubleU Casino™ - Vegas Slots
62. Block Online Gambling - Gamban
63. Cashman Casino Las Vegas Slots
64. PokerStars: Texas Holdem Games
65. Teen Patti Dhamal
66. Lotus 365
67. Satta King: Satta Matka Result
68. Games
69. CRICKET ΒΕΤЅ | All Cricket Βеt
70. Roulette Online
71. Bet Winner-Popular online game
72. Teen Patti Lucky Gold
73. Avia Pilot
74. Record Trade
75. Teen Patti Romio
76. Rich Club
77. Ludo Vungo
78. Teen Patti Kash
79. Lucky Star Slots-Vegas Casino
80. Teen Patti Bhoomi: Patti Poker
81. Teen Patti Guide
82. DAFABET - 2022
83. Bet O Bet-Live Sports Betting
84. Megapari
85. Spin casino: Slot machines
86. Live Baccarat
87. Betfair Live Line
88. BetVictor Bet
89. Blackjack Live
90. ladbrokes odds&tips
91. Rummy
92. Zodiac Casino
93. Grand Mondial Casino
94. Videoslots Fun
95. RABONA
96. Royal Panda
97. Casumo Casino
98. Casumo Online Games: Extended
99. Casumo Slots
100. Vegas Royal
101. betM - Sports Betting Tool
102. MostBet
103. Pure Win
104. Zet Casino
105. INDIBET
105. Lottabet
107. Wheel of Fortune
108. MELBET
109. Slots Machines - Vegas Casino
110. Betvisa
111. AndarBahar Poker
112. Babu88
113. 888STRAZ
114. Trueflip
115. Betindi
116. Betobet
117. Betkwiff
118. Bambet
119. Shangrila
120. Come On
121. Bons
122. william Hill App
123. NEO.Bet App
124. PariPesa App
125. Match Book App
126. 4rabet App
127. Tivit Bet App
128. Fun88
129. Royal Vegas
130. Europa Casino
131. Spin Casino
132. Genesis Casino
133. Jackpot City Casino
134. OPPA 888
135. Grand Mondial
136. Zodiac Casino
137. Rummy
138. Live Blackjack (Blackjack 21: Live Casino game)
Side effects on mental health
Many such people who were caught in the debt trap committed suicide when the people working for the apps mentally harassed them.
The issue came to the fore after several cases of suicides by borrowers of these apps were seen in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Past records
In the last few years, the government had ordered to ban many 250 Chinese apps citing them to be “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order".
Apps including TikTok, Xender, PUBG Mobile Shein, Camscanner, Garena Free Fire, among others were banned in India as they purportedly gathered sensitive user data and requested important permissions.
It was reported that servers in the hostile nation are receiving and using the acquired data improperly. It was imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
Conclusion
On the other hand, Chinese apps can potentially misuse server-side security by using them as spying tools as they have access to the important data of many Indians. Access to such data can be used for espionage on a large scale, due to which all such apps are being considered as a threat to the country.