India May Ask Smartphone Makers to Allow Removal of Pre-installed Apps, Says Report
2 years ago

India May Ask Smartphone Makers to Allow Removal of Pre-installed Apps, Says Report

News 18  

The Central government is likely to force the makers of smartphones to permit the removal of pre-installed applications and mandate screening of major operating system updates under proposed new security rules, as per Reuters. It is a matter of national security.” The new rules is likely to extend launch timelines in the world’s No.2 smartphone market and lead to losses in business from pre-installed apps for players including Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Apple. At present, many smartphones have pre-installed apps that cannot be removed, such as Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s app store GetApps, Samsung’s payment app Samsung Pay mini and iPhone maker Apple’s browser Safari. It was reported in February by News18 that some banned Chinese apps have come back in India under new identities, posing a significant threat to the security and privacy of Indian users.

Security China Data Samsung Xiaomi Smartphone Apps App Chinese Beijing Reuters Tiki Smartphone Makers Indian Users  report  apps  preinstalled  makers  app  chinese  rules  indian  users  data  smartphone  removal  security  india  ask  allow

History of this topic

India bans 119 Chinese apps from Google Play Store citing national security concerns
1 month, 1 week ago

India bans 119 Chinese apps from Google Play Store citing national security concerns

India TV News  

India bans 119 Chinese apps from Google Play Store citing national security concerns The government has launched a digital strike, ordering the removal of 119 Chinese apps from the Google Play Store. The government has launched another digital crackdown, instructing the removal of 119 Chinese apps from the Google Play Store. This isn’t the first time; India initiated a digital …

36 Banned Chinese apps in India, now available on Google Play Store and App Store
1 month, 2 weeks ago

36 Banned Chinese apps in India, now available on Google Play Store and App Store

India TV News  

Chinese apps make a comeback in India: In 2020, India banned several Chinese apps due to security concerns. Following the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps, including UC Browser, Shein, and TikTok, citing security risks. Popular apps that have returned Many of the previously banned apps are now available again, either under a new …

Many banned Chinese apps make comeback in India: Will TikTok return?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Many banned Chinese apps make comeback in India: Will TikTok return?

India Today  

Many of the Chinese apps that were banned in 2020 following the India-China border tensions have made a return to the Play Store in India as diplomatic relations between the two countries improve. With the evolving political landscape, the return of some of the banned Chinese apps - the question on everyone's mind is: Will TikTok make a comeback to …

Many banned Chinese apps re-appear as India-China ties warm up
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Many banned Chinese apps re-appear as India-China ties warm up

India Today  

Remember hundreds of Chinese apps were banned in 2020? After four years, India Today's Open-Source Intelligence team reviewed more than 200 of the banned mobile applications and found that original or clone versions of at least 36 of them were available either on Google's Play Store or Apple's App Store or on both platforms as of February 10. Similarly, Xender …

Shein is back in India after 5 years, but why was it banned in 2020?
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Shein is back in India after 5 years, but why was it banned in 2020?

Firstpost  

Gen Z’s favourite fast-fashion label has made a comeback in India. The app was banned in 2020 by the government over national security concerns China’s fast fashion brand Shein is back in India. Reliance Retail has launched an app to sell Shein’s economical products in India. Shein’s India comeback Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance launched the Shein India Fast Fashion app …

Five years after TikTok ban, Indians also join Chinese ‘refuge’ Xiaohongshu
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Five years after TikTok ban, Indians also join Chinese ‘refuge’ Xiaohongshu

The Hindu  

Even as the fate of social media platform TikTok hangs in the balance in the U.S. — with a ban being postponed for a few weeks by President Donald Trump — Xiaohongshu, a Chinese platform resembling TikTok, has welcomed “refugees” from the beleaguered service, and many users have stayed on even. Now, a trickle of Indian users are also joining …

TikTok: A Chinese trojan horse in democracies
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok: A Chinese trojan horse in democracies

Firstpost  

TikTok’s algorithmic manipulation is to curate China’s peaceful intentions, glorify China’s developmental experience, blunt criticism of the communist party, and promote tourism in China while painting others as declining powers, aggressors, or even incompetent Even though China debarred global social internet sites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Yahoo, and others more than a decade ago, the issue of proscription of …

5 Years of TikTok Ban in India: Which countries have banned the app and why?
2 months, 1 week ago

5 Years of TikTok Ban in India: Which countries have banned the app and why?

India TV News  

India’s ban on TikTok completed five years in January 2025 and marks the move as a significant milestone in the global flight over the app’s controversial nature. ByteDance-owned TikTok ban was a part of a broader move towards addressing the concerns over national security, cyber threats and online content regulation which were not matching with the security protocol of the …

TikTok back in US: A look at its India journey and what happened after 2020 ban
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok back in US: A look at its India journey and what happened after 2020 ban

Live Mint  

From teenage dancers to grandmothers sharing cooking tips, video-sharing app TikTok has been embraced for its ability to transform an ordinary person into a global celebrity when a video goes viral. TikTok’s India journey and govt ban Indian users had flocked to TikTok as early as 2017. Citing national security concerns, India banned TikTok along with more than 50 other …

TikTok ban: Why did India ban TikTok five years ago?
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok ban: Why did India ban TikTok five years ago?

The Hindu  

TikTok, the popular short-video app, was just about to face a shut down in the U.S. after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the app to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance or banned on Sunday in the United States on national security grounds but Donald Trump came to the rescue, giving them more time to find an approved …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months, 1 week ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. TikTok stopped working in the United States late on Saturday and disappeared from Apple and Google app …

Good morning, America: Why India banned TikTok 5 years back
2 months, 1 week ago

Good morning, America: Why India banned TikTok 5 years back

India Today  

On January 19, 2025, millions of American users who logged into TikTok were left stunned after getting a pop-up message declaring the app was temporarily unavailable. TikTok officially suspended its services in the United States on Sunday after a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the government’s decision to ban the app, citing national security concerns. WHEN INDIA …

TikTok disappears from prominent app stores in US; Company says, 'fortunate that President Trump...'
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok disappears from prominent app stores in US; Company says, 'fortunate that President Trump...'

India TV News  

Ahead of a federal ban in the US, the Chinese app TikTok has stopped working in the country, and it was removed from prominent app stores on Saturday. TikTok was missing from Apple and Google's app stores by 10:50 pm Eastern Standard Time, as these platforms are prohibited from offering the Chinese social media platform under a law that required …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months, 1 week ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

US users seek refuge on 'alternative TikTok' amid ban rumours: ‘Looking for my Chinese spy’
2 months, 1 week ago

US users seek refuge on 'alternative TikTok' amid ban rumours: ‘Looking for my Chinese spy’

Hindustan Times  

As the United States inches closer to a potential TikTok ban, a surprising cultural exchange is unfolding on a Chinese app called RedNote, or Xiaohongshu. Described by one user as a “historic moment,” the app has drawn thousands of Americans, whom some are calling “TikTok refugees,” looking for a new online space after their government’s push to ban the popular …

Amid 'ban' on TikTok over data concerns, Americans rush to another Chinese app 'Red Note': What happened
2 months, 1 week ago

Amid 'ban' on TikTok over data concerns, Americans rush to another Chinese app 'Red Note': What happened

Op India  

With the imminent ban on TikTok in the United States, users of the video-sharing app in the North American country are migrating to yet another Chinese app named Xiaohongshu. pic.twitter.com/UTxkeQ7Bhy — Han Shawnity 🇺🇸 January 17, 2025 When India banned Chinese apps and the rationale behind the decision In 2024, a leading security expert Tzeng Yi-suo explained, “Information security risks …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
Top News
2 months, 1 week ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

What happens if TikTok gets banned?
2 months, 1 week ago

What happens if TikTok gets banned?

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery TikTok’s role in ensuring non-famous people experience viral fame is …

TikTok refugees welcomed by alternative Chinese apps ahead of ban
Trending News
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok refugees welcomed by alternative Chinese apps ahead of ban

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy TikTok users in the US have reported receiving a warm welcome on other …

TikTok refugees welcomed by alternative Chinese apps ahead of ban
Top News
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok refugees welcomed by alternative Chinese apps ahead of ban

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy TikTok users in the US have reported receiving a warm welcome on other …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months, 1 week ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming
2 months, 1 week ago

US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming

Deccan Chronicle  

Hong Kong: As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, U.S. TikTok users are flocking to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu – making it the top downloaded app in the U.S. Since Monday, Xiaohongshu has become the top downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.S. Xiaohongshu, which in English means “Little Red Book” is a Chinese …

TikTok users in US flock to ‘China’s Instagram’, RedNote, ahead of ban
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok users in US flock to ‘China’s Instagram’, RedNote, ahead of ban

Al Jazeera  

Chinese users of Xiaohongshu welcome influx of Americans, but caution that sensitive topics are off-limits. Taipei, Taiwan – As a TikTok ban looms in the United States, young Americans are flocking to the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu as “TikTok refugees” in search of a similar experience. “It’s definitely funny that American teenagers are protesting the looming TikTok ban by …

US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming
2 months, 1 week ago

US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, U.S. TikTok users are flocking to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu – making it the top downloaded app in the U.S. Since Monday, Xiaohongshu has become the top downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.S. Xiaohongshu, which in English means “Little Red Book” is a …

TikTok refugees welcomed by alternative Chinese apps ahead of ban
Top News
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok refugees welcomed by alternative Chinese apps ahead of ban

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy TikTok users in the US have reported receiving a warm welcome on other …

TikTok ban risk pushes US users to download two other Chinese social media apps: Xiaohongshu, Lemon8
2 months, 1 week ago

TikTok ban risk pushes US users to download two other Chinese social media apps: Xiaohongshu, Lemon8

Hindustan Times  

Apple iPhone download charts in the US saw two Chinese apps Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 taking over the top two positions as users seek alternatives to TikTok ahead of a possible ban, Bloomberg reported. ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok has January 19 as the deadline for finding a US buyer in order to be allowed to continue operating in the country. Lemon8 on …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months, 2 weeks ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

TikTok ban: Will you be able to use app? How will it impact users? Who is buying the Chinese app? What we know so far
Top News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok ban: Will you be able to use app? How will it impact users? Who is buying the Chinese app? What we know so far

Live Mint  

Is the TikTok social media app being banned in the United States? The US government passed a law last year that forced TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell the wildly popular platform or shut it down. According to reports, the Supreme Court seems likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the US beginning January 19 — …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months, 2 weeks ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

TikTok faces a survival test in US that began in India
2 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok faces a survival test in US that began in India

Firstpost  

The story of TikTok’s many legal challenges began in India when the country imposed a total ban on the platform in 2020 following New Delhi’s simmering geopolitical tensions with Beijing Will TikTok continue to host thousands of content creators in the US or not is up to the Supreme Court’s hearing on Friday that would either force its Chinese owner …

TikTok ban: Why the ByteDance app might actually get banned from the U.S.
2 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok ban: Why the ByteDance app might actually get banned from the U.S.

Slate  

This article was republished from the Rip Current by Jacob Ward and has been lightly edited for Slate. In fact, as the Supreme Court prepares to take up the question of TikTok’s continued existence in the United States on Friday, around the world the executives of dozens of companies, having read the headlines, are undoubtedly waking up sweating in the …

Nepal lifts TikTok ban after blocking app over ‘social harmony’ concerns
7 months ago

Nepal lifts TikTok ban after blocking app over ‘social harmony’ concerns

Al Jazeera  

Move comes weeks after Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli was sworn into office following the collapse of the previous government. The move comes after Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who was sworn in last month after the collapse of the previous coalition government, issued a directive calling for the equal treatment of all social networking platforms, state-run National …

This country banned TikTok. What became of its influencers?
8 months, 2 weeks ago

This country banned TikTok. What became of its influencers?

LA Times  

Is there life after TikTok? “When it got banned, I had nothing,” recalled Gaurav Jain, who was one of the country’s more than 200 million TikTok users. “I don’t think the average TikTok user has synthesized in their brain that this is going away,” said Lawrence Vincent, associate professor of the practice of marketing at USC’s Marshall School of Business. …

The ghosts of India's TikTok: What happens when a social media app is banned
11 months ago

The ghosts of India's TikTok: What happens when a social media app is banned

BBC  

The ghosts of India's TikTok: What happens when a social media app is banned Getty Images TikTok was one of India's most popular apps – until it was banned in 2020. Banning a massive social media app would be an unprecedented moment in American tech history, though the looming court battle currently leaves TikTok's fate uncertain. When TikTok went offline …

TikTok may be banned in the US. Here’s what happened when India did it
11 months ago

TikTok may be banned in the US. Here’s what happened when India did it

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In June 2020, TikTok users in India bid …

TikTok may be banned in the US. Here’s what happened when India did it
11 months ago

TikTok may be banned in the US. Here’s what happened when India did it

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — The hugely popular Chinese app TikTok may be forced out of the U.S., where a measure to outlaw the video-sharing app has won congressional approval and is on its way to President Biden for his signature. In June 2020, TikTok users in India bid goodbye to the app, which is operated by Chinese internet firm ByteDance. The …

TikTok may be banned in the U.S. Here’s what happened when India did it
11 months ago

TikTok may be banned in the U.S. Here’s what happened when India did it

LA Times  

Activists in Jammu, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, demonstrate in 2020 against Chinese President Xi Jinping next to a banner showing the logos of TikTok and other Chinese apps banned in India. In June 2020, TikTok users in India bid goodbye to the app, which is operated by Chinese internet firm ByteDance. The government cited privacy concerns and said that Chinese apps …

Fake messaging apps espionage campaign targets Indian users
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Fake messaging apps espionage campaign targets Indian users

India TV News  

Researchers have reportedly discovered an active espionage campaign 'eXotic Visit', that has been targeting Android users with fake messaging apps. In a report, the researchers said, "Apps that contain XploitSPY can extract contact lists and files, the device’s GPS location, and the names of files listed in specific directories related to the camera, downloads, and various messaging apps such as …

US House passes bill that can force China's ByteDance to either sell TikTok or get banned
1 year ago

US House passes bill that can force China's ByteDance to either sell TikTok or get banned

Op India  

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that can force the Chinese company ByteDance, the owner of the short video app TikTok, to either sell TikTok to a US-based company or get banned in the country. The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would give TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the …

India banned TikTok overnight but 200 million people learned to live without it
1 year ago

India banned TikTok overnight but 200 million people learned to live without it

CNN  

New Delhi CNN — As TikTok fans in the United States worry about losing access to the wildly-popular social media app, there are lessons they can learn from a country on the other side of the world. “It’s important to remember that when India banned TikTok and multiple Chinese apps, the US was the first to praise the decision,” said …

India is the first country to ban TikTok over security concerns
1 year ago

India is the first country to ban TikTok over security concerns

India TV News  

As the US House of Representatives passed legislation which could lead to a ban on TikTok, a short format video sharing platfrom which has around 170 million American users, it was the Indian government which first decided to block the platform in the world. The government blocked TikTok along with other 59 Chinese applications because of security concerns. In 2020, …

Google agrees to restore Indian apps after IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's intervention
1 year ago

Google agrees to restore Indian apps after IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's intervention

Op India  

On Saturday, March 2, Google reversed its earlier decision and agreed to restore the Indian apps removed from the Play Store over a dispute regarding the service fees. This kind of de-listing cannot be permitted.” Earlier, on Friday, Google had removed apps belonging to 10 Indian companies, including well established brands like Bharatmatrimony and Naukri. While removing the apps, the …

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee
1 year ago

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Google on Friday began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments. While Bharat Matrimony founder Murugavel Janakiraman described the move as "dark day" for the Internet in India, Kuku FM co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena, in a statement, said that Google was behaving like a 'monopoly'. …

U.S. cannot be the last nation to ban Chinese app TikTok, says Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley
1 year, 1 month ago

U.S. cannot be the last nation to ban Chinese app TikTok, says Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley

The Hindu  

Describing Chinese-owned app TikTok as dangerous, U.S. Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has said that when countries like India and Nepal have banned this social media platform, the U.S. cannot be the last nation to do the same. According to Pew Research data released in late 2023, about a third of 18-29 year-olds in the U.S. said they regularly get …

What’s really at stake in the US moves to target TikTok?
1 year, 2 months ago

What’s really at stake in the US moves to target TikTok?

Al Jazeera  

US lawmakers’ determination to limit the digital space raises crucial questions about who gets to tell the story Who owns the narrative? After Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, young American users of TikTok looking to understand US involvement in the Middle East appear to have unearthed Osama bin Laden’s post-9/11 “Letter to America”. The furore over …

Govt of India bans over 100 fraudulent Chinese websites in crackdown on China-operated financial scams
1 year, 3 months ago

Govt of India bans over 100 fraudulent Chinese websites in crackdown on China-operated financial scams

Firstpost  

The government of India has banned over 100 Chinese-operated investment scam websites. These websites were found to be intricately linked to multiple bank accounts, with funds being transferred between accounts to confuse investigating agencies In a decisive move against financial fraud, the Government of India has launched a comprehensive initiative to ban over 100 Chinese-operated investment scam websites that have …

Apple enforces new check on apps in China as Beijing tightens oversight
1 year, 5 months ago

Apple enforces new check on apps in China as Beijing tightens oversight

The Hindu  

Apple has started requiring new apps to show proof of a Chinese government licence before their release on its China App Store, joining local rivals that had adopted the policy years earlier to meet tightening state regulations. Apple began last Friday requiring app developers to submit the "internet content provider filing" when they publish new apps on its App Store, …

Apple, China met to discuss Beijing's crackdown on western apps: Report
1 year, 5 months ago

Apple, China met to discuss Beijing's crackdown on western apps: Report

The Hindu  

Apple staff met with Chinese officials in recent months to discuss concerns over new rules that will restrict the U.S. tech giant from offering many foreign apps currently available on its app store in the country, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The officials told Apple that it must strictly implement the rules which ban unregistered foreign apps, the …

Apple’s App Store may become illegal in China soon after CCP's forces tech cos to submit information
1 year, 5 months ago

Apple’s App Store may become illegal in China soon after CCP's forces tech cos to submit information

Firstpost  

China has asked all tech companies operating in China to submit a whole bunch of documents and information regarding their app stores. Because of this, Apple’s App Store may become illegal China has released its first list of 26 mobile app stores that have provided their business details to regulators, but notably, Apple’s app store is absent from the list. …

NewsClick controversy: Did China shift its propaganda from phone apps to media?
1 year, 7 months ago

NewsClick controversy: Did China shift its propaganda from phone apps to media?

India Today  

Until last year the central government banned over 250 Chinese apps citing them to be “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India”. In a first, ED ‘uncovers’ China-media link The central probe agency’s recent action against digital news website NewsClick -- first against any media firm -- uncovered the alleged involvement of the site in peddling pro-China information in …

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