Indian Army Banned 89 Apps, Including Facebook And Instagram, Citing Security Concerns

According to people familiar with the matter on Wednesday, the Indian Army has asked its soldiers to remove 89 apps from their smartphones, including the ones banned by the Indian government and others like Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram.

They said apps like OkCupid, Couch Surfing, and Tinder are prohibited for security reasons. Soldiers are also banned from using dating and gaming apps, video-sharing, and messaging platforms. Even e-commerce apps are prohibited.

The Indian Army also demands a ban on Viber, Vigo Video, WeChat, PUBG, and Cam Scanner. According to people with insight into the matter, these rules are laid down periodically and amidst the current border tension, security need is more important now than ever.

Apart from the 59 Chinese apps banned by the Indian government, the Indian Army has an extended list of names it doesn’t want its soldiers to get involved with. The most recent are Bigo Live, SHAREit, Club Factory, Mi Video Call, Baidu, Likee, and Weibo.

Following the Indian government’s ban, Chinese apps on the list have disappeared from Apple App Store and Google Play Store for India.

Indian government cites security concerns to explain its decision to prohibit Chinese apps, which has triggered quite a strong reaction from the East Asian country’s government.

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