Indian army asks soldiers to delete Facebook, Tinder, PUBG Mobile, and 83 other apps: Report (Image: Bloomberg)
After the government of India banned 59 Chinese apps for everyone in the country, the Indian army asks soldiers and officers to delete 89 apps from their smartphone. The report first comes from news agency ANI. The agency posted a full list of 89 apps on Wednesday. Notably, the list includes more than just apps with China origin such as Facebook, Tinder, Instagram, among others.
In a Twitter post, the news agency stated that the “Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their smartphone including Facebook, TikTok, Truecaller, and Instagram to plug leakage of information.” The list includes both Chinese and non-Chinese apps ranging from messaging platforms to health apps to popular mobile games and more.
Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their smartphones including Facebook, TikTok, Truecaller and Instagram to plug leakage of information: Indian Army Sources pic.twitter.com/l23Lu5ndNh
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
List of 89 apps army asked to delete
Messaging Platforms
WeChat
QQ
Kik
ooVoo
Nimbuzz
Helo
Qzone
Share Chat
Viber
Line
IMO
Snow
To Tok
Hike
Video Hosting
TikTok
Likee
Samosa
Kwali
Content Sharing
Shareit
Xender
Zapya
Web Browsers
UC Browser
UC Browser Mini
Video and Live Streaming
LiveMe
BigoLive
Zoom
Fast Films
Vmate
Uplive
Vigo Video
Utility Apps
Cam Scanner
Beauty Plus
Truecaller
Gaming Apps
PUBG
NONO Live
Clash of Kings
All Tencent gaming apps
Mobile Legends
E-Commerce
Club Factory
AliExpress
Chinabrands
Gearbest
Banggood
MiniInTheBox
Tiny Deal
Dhhgate
LightinTheBox
DX
Eric Dress
Zaful
Tbdress
Modility
Rosegal
Shein
Romwe
Dating Apps
Tinder
TrulyMadly
Happn
Aisle
Coffee Meets Bagel
Woo
OkCupid
Hinge
Badoo
Azar
Bumble
Tantan
Elite Sinles
Tagged
Couch Surfing
Antivirus
360 Security
Networking
Facebook
Baidu
Instagram
Ello
Snapchat
News Apps
Daily Hunt
News Dog
Online Book Reading Apps
Pratilipi
Health Apps
Heal of Y
Lifestyle Apps
POPXO
Knowledge Apps
Vokal
Music Apps
Hungama
Songs.pk
Blogging/ Micro Blogging
Yelp
Tumblr
Reddit
FriendsFeed
Private Blogs
The list includes all 59 Chinese apps the government banned in India recently and some more Chinese and non-Chinese applications.
Commenting on the matter Truecaller spokesperson noted in an email statement, “It is disappointing and saddening to learn that Truecaller is among the list of 89 apps being banned by the Indian Armed Forces for their personnel. Truecaller is an app of Swedish origin that considers India it’s home. We also have immense respect for the Armed Forces and we stand in solidarity with them and the Indian government. We would like to reiterate that Truecaller remains safe to use, both for our citizens and for our esteemed armed forces personnel. We see no reason for Truecaller to be on this list and will investigate the matter further. Truecaller provides a vital service for over 170 million people in India, identifying and blocking hundreds of millions of spam calls and SMS every single day. Our inclusion in this list is unfair and unjust for the following reasons:
Truecaller stores all user data in India, well ahead of regulations
All app features are permission-based & disabled by default
A majority of Truecaller employees globally are Indian
Truecaller does not upload phonebooks or sell user data – https://www.truecaller.com/privacy
For women facing harassment, fraudsters who try to steal your money & for those facing a barrage of incessant spam – Truecaller is often the first and only effective line of defence – https://www.truecaller.com/impact.”
This move comes amidst the tension at the border between India and China. The army clearly doesn’t want leakage of any information. Another report from IndiaTV News stated that the army has set July 15 as the deadline for soldiers and officers to delete the listed apps from their smartphone.
Notably, apps other than 59 banned Chinese apps are not banned in India. Army has just asked officers to delete them from their mobile phones.