'Happy Fish', an interactive game download millions of times on the Android platform, has also been blocked. It is called 'Kuaishou' in China and 'Kwai' in other markets. It is one of the most downloaded apps in south Asian markets. Snack Video, which is considered to be TikTok's rival, is owned by China-based Beijing Kuaishou Technology company. In earlier bans, the government had focused more on sharing platforms and games. Most of the other blocked apps are social media and dating applications. The logistics provider offers local courier and delivery services and employs a large number of delivery partners. The ban effectively places a check on imports from China.Īnother popular app to be banned is Lalamove. The blocked apps include Alibaba Workbench, AliExpress, Alipay Cashier, CamCard and WeDate.ĪliExpress, a China-based online shopping platform, is popular in India among traders and small businesses who rely on it for supplies and components. "The government is committed to protect the interests of citizens and sovereignty and integrity of India on all fronts and it shall take all possible steps to ensure that," the Centre said today. In September, the government banned 118 more apps saying they posed a threat to the country's sovereignty.Ī total of 220 apps now stand blocked, including the viral video platform TikTok and the popular mobile shooting game, PUBG, in what ministers have described as a "digital strike". The government had first banned 59 Chinese apps in June as tension with China peaked following the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley. The move was based on "comprehensive reports received from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, Ministry of Home Affairs," said a government statement. The apps were banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said today. Four apps owned by China's retail giant, the Alibaba Group, are on the latest banned list. The government has blocked 43 more mobile apps, mostly Chinese, for activities that are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order".