“They want to send a message. This is a decision
based on a geopolitical situation,” said digital
rights activist Nikhil Pahwa.
Indian protesters have been calling for a
boycott of Chinese goods since the June
15 confrontation in the remote Karakoram
mountain border region.
Late Monday, the government said that it was
banning 59 Chinese-owned apps, including
TikTok, which is operated by Chinese internet firm
Bytedance. It cited privacy concerns that it said
pose a threat to India’s sovereignty and security.
The banned apps include some that enable
TikTok users to add visual effects and music to
their posts, as well as dating apps, privacy apps
and multiplayer games.
India’s information technology ministry issued
a statement saying it had received reports that
mobile apps were “stealing and surreptitiously
transmitting users’ data.”
The compilation of such data, and its mining
and profiling by elements hostile to India is “a
matter of very deep and immediate concern
which requires emergency measures,” the
statement said.
TikTok’s countermove, shifting data to Ireland,
shows how integrated the two economies have
become. Chinese products are ubiquitous in
India, from toys to smartphones to Made-in-
China Hindu idols. Two-way trade grew from $3
billion in 2000 to $95 billion in 2018, according
to Indian government data, with the balance
strongly favoring China.
“There is too much of Chinese presence in
the everyday life of the average Indian,” said