The Government of India has banned 14 mobile apps in the country. These applications were mostly utilised in Jammu and Kashmir for the dissemination of terror. Some terrorist groups were using these apps for fostering terrorism in J&K. On the advice of security and intelligence agencies, the decision to ban the apps was made.
Below is the list of mobile apps that have been banned in India:
- Crypviser
- Enigma
- Safeswiss
- Wickrme
- Mediafire
- Briar
- BChat
- Nandbox
- Conion
- IMO
- Element
- Second line
- Zangi
- Threema
As we mentioned earlier the action was taken on the recommendation of intelligence agencies. The request for banning these apps was made known to the relevant ministry along with a list of apps that constitute a threat to national security. The 14 mobile apps have been banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act of 2000. According to sources, these applications were used by terror groups linked to Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir to stay in touch with their supporters and Over Ground Workers (OGW) and to receive orders from Pakistan.
“Agencies keep track of channels used by Overground workers (OGWs) and terrorists to communicate among themselves. While tracking down one of the communication, agencies found that the mobile application does not have representatives in India and it is difficult to track down activities happening on the app. Thereafter, with the help of other intelligence agencies operating in the valley, a list of such apps was prepared that pose a threat to national security and do not follow Indian laws,” according to ANI.
In the past, more than 200 apps, including TikTok, PUBG Mobile, and others, were banned in India. A quick recap: 59 Chinese apps were subject to the initial ban. TikTok, Shareit, Shein, WeChat, Club Factory, and more apps were on the list at that time. Under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, more than 118 apps, including PUBG, were blacklisted in the second round.
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