Published
Jun 30, 2020
Reading time
2 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Indian government bans 59 Chinese apps including Club Factory, Shein and Romwe

Published
Jun 30, 2020

The government’s Ministry of Electronics and IT announced that it has banned 59 Chinese mobile apps in India including shopping apps for clothing stores Shein, Romwe, and Club Factory, citing a security threat.

Club Factory, Shein, and Romwe shopping apps have been banned in India - Club Factory

 
Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat, and a number of fast fashion retailers have been banned in India after the MeitY received reports that the apps were being misused to transfer Indian users’ data abroad, the government ministry announced in a press release on Monday. The ban was imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
 
“The compilation of the data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on the matter, ET Bureau reported. “There have been raging concerns on aspects relating to data security and safeguarding the privacy of 130 crore Indians. It has been noted recently that such concerns also pose a threat to sovereignty and security of our country.”

Shein, Club Factory, and Romwe all have a large customer base in India and so would loose significant income due to the ban. Both Shein and Club Factory have also come under fire in India for alleged customs tax avoidance which resulted in shipments being seized by Indian authorities last year. 

The banned apps include YouCam Makeup, Helo, Likee, Mi Community, Virus Cleaner, Weibo, UC News, Meitu, SelfieCity, Wonder Camera, Sweet Selfie, and Baidu Translate among others. The government’s decision to ban the apps comes as tensions between India and China mount.
 
 
 

Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.