India blocks access to 54 mobile apps, mainly Chinese 

India has blocked access to 54 mobile apps, mainly Chinese but also including Singapore-based Sea Ltd’s “Free Fire” mobile game, over security concerns, government sources said in a Reuters report.

Since the start of political tension with China in 2020 following a border clash, India’s ban list, which initially had 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, has expanded to cover 321 apps.

India believes user data was being sent via the apps to servers in China, one of the government sources, who sought anonymity in line with policy, told Reuters.

Such collection would allow the data to be mined, collated, analysed and profiled, potentially by “elements hostile to the sovereignty and integrity of India and for activities detrimental to national security,” the source said.

Sea, a consumer internet firm in which Chinese gaming giant Tencent holds an 18.7% stake, said on Tuesday it complies with Indian laws and does not transfer or store any data of the country’s users in China.

Tencent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sea had on Monday told its shareholders that it was “working through it” (the ban), according to a person who attended its annual general meeting and declined to be named.