After the ban of 59 Chinese Apps in the country, the Indian Army has come up with an 89 app ban for its personnel. In a detailed list issued by the Indian Army, it has banned a host of apps from Facebook, Truecaller, and Instagram, to games like PUBG Mobile, and datings apps like Tinder, as well as news apps like Daily Hunt.
The list of 89 apps includes the 59 Chinese apps that the government has already banned. Army sources to say that the ban is to plug leakage of information. The inclusion of categories like dating apps suggests the army’s worries real-world snooping apart from about cyber snooping. The deadline for personnel to delete these apps is 15th July (in case they are using them at present).
Before the ban as well Army personnel were allowed to use social media with restrictions. Like for example, they are not allowed to post pictures in uniform or disclosing the location of their units. The link to this ban surely has its roots in tensions between India and China. Earlier Indian Navy has also issued an order for restriction of the use of social media for its personnel.
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As per that order personnel are not allowed to carry smartphones into bases and dockyards as well as onboard warships, and directed the “ban on the use of Facebook by all naval personnel and ban on the use of smartphones within naval bases/establishments/dockyards / onboard warships. The U.S. Army has meanwhile also banned TikTok citing cyber threats.
