Tag Archive for: banned

World’s biggest drone maker and 12 other Chinese companies ‘banned’ by the US government – Gadgets Now

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World’s biggest drone maker and 12 other Chinese companies ‘banned’ by the US government  Gadgets Now

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BGMI to VLC Media Player, the ‘banned’ apps or services you might still have on your phone

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Back in June 2020 at the height of geopolitical tensions between China and India, the Indian Government issued a notice asking Google and Apple to take down 59 Chinese apps from their App Stores citing that the apps were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”. Popular apps and services such as TikTok, Shein, ShareIT, UC Browser were banned in the first list, issued back in June 2020.

Since then, the list of banned apps has continued to grow and crossed over 250 apps. The latest apps which have been added to the list include the popular VLC Media player and Battlegrounds Mobile India game, which was taken down from the official stores, though the game is still working in India.

Having said that, let us take a look at some of the popular banned apps that you might still be using despite the Government’s decision to ban them. Keep in mind that for some apps there is no clarity on whether there is a ban or not.

1. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI)

PlayersUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile or PUBG Mobile, the popular online multiplayer shooting game was initially banned in the first wave back in 2020. Two years later, Krafton, the South Korean developers behind the original game, re-launched the title under a different name – Battlegrounds Mobile India. BGMI gained a lot of popularity in India, crossing over 100 million users in just a year. 

But not all was well and there were issues with data transfer. Just last month, the government issued an order and the game was pulled from Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. To date, there is still no word if BGMI is officially banned because those who have downloaded the game are still able to play. The game can also be downloaded from third-party app stores or websites on Android devices and via APK files. Till the game’s servers are taken down in India, the ban is only there partially.

2. VLC Media Player

VLC is one of the most popular media players of all time. But a few months ago, the Indian Government decided to block the VLC Media player website. Unfortunately, neither the Government nor VLC developers have shed any light as to why the app was banned. VLC…

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Why govt banned VLC media player and is there link to Chinese hackers?

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The government of India banned several Chinese apps including VLC Media Player six months ago, reported Indian Express. However, the android version of the application is still available on Google playstore and iOS app store for existing users. New users are not allowed to download the app.


There has been a sharp uptick in cyberattack cases in the country since the beginning of this year. Over 670,000 cases were filed in India till June this year, Ajay Kuma Mishra, Minister of State for Home Affairs of India cited while replying to a question in Lok Sabha.


Personal computers and smartphones that already have VLC media player installed face no issues in running the application. However, the application can still be accessed using VPN services. Moreover, the offline executable setup file can still be installed in the desktops and laptops, said an Indian Express report.


The application started in France and developed by VideoLAN, has a very modular design, which enables it to include modules/plugins for new file formats, codecs, interfaces or streaming methods. It supports audio and video compression methods and file formats including Video CD, DVD-Video and streaming protocols. It transcodes multimedia files and streams media over computer networks.


The website stopped functioning a few months back but came to user’s notice very late.


Gagandeep Sapra, a twitter user displays through his tweet, what description a user gets when he/she tries to download the app. His tweet mentions, “The website has been blocked as per order of the Ministry of Electronics and Information technology under IT Act,2000,” as reported by IE.


According to the section 69A of the IT Act 2000, the Union government has the power to ban/restrict applications and websites that threaten security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation, following due procedure.


The VLC media player was infiltrated with malware by a hacker group named ‘Cicada’ with Chinese links. Some reports mentioned the reason behind the ban of the player — its link with China. Indian user data was being sent abroad and cyberattacks were launched in…

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Battlegrounds Mobile India banned by Indian government over “national security concerns”

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PUBG is a massively popular game across the world, drawing in millions of players on the mobile version of the game. The app was banned in India last year after the Indian government expressed concerns about data sharing, however. And now, Battlegrounds Mobile India, an Indian-specific version of PUBG, has been banned as well.

The company that developed PUBG is Krafton, a South Korean company that is backed by the Chinese game developer Tencent. Because of the political tension between the Indian and Chinese governments, India has removed the apps over purported concerns that data the app collects could be used against the country.

Reuters‘ report features comments from an Indian government official who said the government has been removing a variety of Chinese apps since 2020 because of “national security concerns.” It’s doing so through an information technology law that allows the country to ban any apps it fears may pose a risk to its citizens and the country.

This move from the Indian government follows roughly two years of an Indian and Chinese border dispute in the northern part of India. After complaints of unapproved construction, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed on May 5, 2020, resulting in the deaths of servicemembers on both sides. The removal of PUBG and other apps served as economic sanctions during the summer of 2020.

While there continues to be political discord between the two countries, it is likely that Indian players won’t see Battlegrounds Mobile India for a while, if ever again.

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