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Tencent’s WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
//Tencent and other Chinese app operators have had no option but to fall in line with India’s ban, at a time when they also find themselves under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the US over privacy and censorship issue
//India on Monday banned 47 more Chinese apps after blocking 59 others over privacy and national security concerns, according to an information ministry official and media reports.
//“We value each of our users, and data security and privacy are of utmost importance to us,” the notice said. “We are engaging with relevant authorities and hope to be able to resume service in the future.”
//Some affected Indian users reached out to WeChat’s Twitter account for help.
//Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington could sanction Chinese social media apps, including TikTok and WeChat, over privacy issues and potential national security risks.
//That has sparked anxiety among many overseas Chinese who use WeChat to keep in touch with family and friends back home, as well as many western companies and individuals who use the app for business.
//The ban came on the back of online protests calling for people in the vast South Asian country to boycott a range of Chinese-made goods, from apps to smartphones, after a deadly skirmish between the Indian Army and Chinese troops along the two nations’ disputed Himalayan border on June 15.
//While there are many uncertainties about the ban, particularly about how it will be enforced in the long term, other affected Chinese app providers have also moved to comply with the Indian government’s directive, including removing their presence in app stores.
Full Article:South China Morning Post(27-Jul)
https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3094834/tencents-wechat-cuts-service-india-amid-countrys-ban-chinese-apps
#Tenent #Tiktok #wechat #India #Chineseapps
Tencent’s WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
//Tencent and other Chinese app operators have had no option but to fall in line with India’s ban, at a time when they also find themselves under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the US over privacy and censorship issue
//India on Monday banned 47 more Chinese apps after blocking 59 others over privacy and national security concerns, according to an information ministry official and media reports.
//“We value each of our users, and data security and privacy are of utmost importance to us,” the notice said. “We are engaging with relevant authorities and hope to be able to resume service in the future.”
//Some affected Indian users reached out to WeChat’s Twitter account for help.
//Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington could sanction Chinese social media apps, including TikTok and WeChat, over privacy issues and potential national security risks.
//That has sparked anxiety among many overseas Chinese who use WeChat to keep in touch with family and friends back home, as well as many western companies and individuals who use the app for business.
//The ban came on the back of online protests calling for people in the vast South Asian country to boycott a range of Chinese-made goods, from apps to smartphones, after a deadly skirmish between the Indian Army and Chinese troops along the two nations’ disputed Himalayan border on June 15.
//While there are many uncertainties about the ban, particularly about how it will be enforced in the long term, other affected Chinese app providers have also moved to comply with the Indian government’s directive, including removing their presence in app stores.
Full Article:South China Morning Post(27-Jul)
https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3094834/tencents-wechat-cuts-service-india-amid-countrys-ban-chinese-apps
#Tenent #Tiktok #wechat #India #Chineseapps
South China Morning Post
WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
The stakes are high for Tencent to comply with the ban because at least 10 of the company’s apps have been blacklisted in India, including QQ Mail, QQ Music and short-video platform Kwai.