The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to ban a fresh lot of 47 apps that were functioning in the disguise of banned ones like TikTok. Indian app creators welcomed the decision by the government.
"We need to be very concerned about our data, and make sure it remains within India. We, at Chingari, have always been on top of this, hence we decided to never take any funds from China nor use any of their technology in our app," said Sumit Ghosh, CEO and Cofounder of Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok which has been downloaded by millions since the ban came into the force.
The new order came after the MeitY directed the 59 banned apps to strictly adhere to the orders or face serious action in case of violations.
Vidya Narayanan, CEO and Co-Founder of Rizzle which is a 60-second video app for collaborations and interactions, said, in a statement, that they welcome content creators joining their homegrown app.
"We are pleased to support millions of TikTokers with a positive and secure platform that will help them enhance their social presence while becoming financially independent," said Narayanan.
On June 29, the government banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser and Xiaomi's Mi Community over national security concerns.
"This second digital strike is a great move as all these 47 apps were operating as clones of the 59 Chinese apps barred earlier.
"The ban would safeguard Indian users' data and protect the country against the potential threat these apps pose to our national security," said Piyush, CEO and Co-Founder, Rooter which is India's biggest sports community platform.
The government will soon publish the list of banned 47 apps. According to the ministry, the move would safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile users.
*Edited from an IANS report