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Banned apps in India: BGMI to VLC Media player, know the BIGGEST names that were blocked

We have seen an app blocking spree from the government which has been proactive in banning apps which it finds harmful for India's national security. The list contains some big names like BGMI and VLC Media player. But you might not have known about some other names in the list.

By: HT TECH
Updated on: Aug 20 2022, 13:34 IST
Find out the biggest banned apps in India. List includes BGMI, VLC Media player and more. (Pixabay-Edited)
Find out the biggest banned apps in India. List includes BGMI, VLC Media player and more. (Pixabay-Edited)

We all know about Battleground Mobile India (BGMI) and VLC Media Player, 2 big apps which faced bans from the Indian government. But do you think you know about all the major apps which have been blocked in the country? Some of the names in this list might actually surprise you. The government has taken a proactive approach to find out about apps on Google Play Store and App Store which might have links with the Chinese government and could be sharing their database with it. Between 2020 and February 2022, a total of 321 apps were banned. And the list goes on as more big names become inaccessible to us. So, let us take a closer look at the biggest banned apps in India.

BGMI

Probably the one to make the biggest ruckus after PUBG and Garena Free Fire. While the former two became a part of large-scale app bans, BGMI was banned separately. The ban for the online multiplayer battle royale game came as a massive shock as after Tencent published PUBG ban, Krafton took control of the BGMI project and developed an app for India that passed the checks by the government. But just days after its one year anniversary, the app has been banned from both Play Store and App Store.

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VLC Media Player

This one was probably even more surprising because the website was taken down months before many people knew. It became known after the official Twitter account posted about it on August 13 saying “If you are in India, please help us”. There has been no official information on why VLC was banned in India.

Also read: Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.

AliExpress

While not shocking given its China links, this was one of the biggest apps for Indian consumers to order cheap Chinese goods. Interestingly, AliExpress did not sell to Mainland China customers, although the majority of its retailers are Chinese. The app faced a ban in November 2020.

UC Browser

Another crowd favorite app to fall to app bans was the UC Browser. The application was famous for being optimized for mobile devices and came with an in-built ad blocker. It was one of the first apps to face the ban in 2020.

WeChat

One of the most popular messaging apps on the planet, WeChat might not have had a large number of users given the popularity of WhatsApp and later Telegram, WeChat was still popular due to its name and many used it for offering a comprehensive app experience. Along with PUBG and UC Browser, it also was blocked in India after the first wave of app bans.

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First Published Date: 20 Aug, 13:34 IST
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