Indian Army Asks Personnel to Delete 89 Apps Including Facebook, TikTok, Tinder, PUBG: Report

The Indian Army wants its personnel to delete 89 apps, ranging from Tiktok, Facebook, Truecaller, and Instagram, to games like PUBG Mobile, and datings apps like Tinder, as well as news apps like Daily Hunt and all ‘private blogs’, according to reports. According to the reports, the army wants personnel to delete these apps to plug the leakage of information. The inclusion of categories like dating apps suggests that the army isn’t just worried about cyber snooping, but also real world snooping. There is a large overlap with the list of 59 Chinese apps banned by the government, but this list is even larger, and isn’t restricted to only apps from China.

The ban is clearly related to the tensions that are taking place between India and China, but unlike the government list, this ban will only apply to army personnel. This isn’t the first time that the army has ordered a similar ban either. The order also asked them not to carry smartphones into bases and dockyards as well as on board warships, and directed the “ban on use of Facebook by all naval personnel and ban on use of smartphones within naval bases / establishments / dockyards / onboard warships.”

You can see the full list of 89 apps banned by the Indian Army below:

Messaging Platforms

• WeChat
• QQ
• Kik
• ooVoo
• Nimbuzz
• Helo
• Qzone
• Share Chat
• Viber
• Line
• IMO
• Snow
• To Tok
• Hike

Video Hosting

• TikTok
• Likee
• Samosa
• Kwali

Content Sharing

• Shareit
• Xender
• Zapya

Web Browsers

• UC Browser
• UC Browser Mini

Video and Live Streaming

• LiveMe
• BigoLive
• Zoom
• Fast Films
• Vmate
• Uplive
• Vigo Video

Utility Apps

• Cam Scanner
• Beauty Plus
• Truecaller

Gaming Apps

• PUBG
• NONO Live
• Clash of Kings
• All Tencent gaming apps
• Mobile Legends

E-Commerce

• Club Factory
• AliExpress
• Chinabrands
• Gearbest
• Banggood
• MiniInTheBox
• Tiny Deal
• Dhhgate
• LightinTheBox
• DX
• Eric Dress
• Zaful
• Tbdress
• Modility
• Rosegal
• Shein
• Romwe

Dating Apps

• Tinder
• TrulyMadly
• Happn
• Aisle
• Coffee Meets Bagel
• Woo
• OkCupid
• Hinge
• Badoo
• Azar
• Bumble
• Tantan
• Elite Sinles
• Tagged
• Couch Surfing

Antivirus

• 360 Security

Networking

• Facebook
• Baidu
• Instagram
• Ello
• Snapchat

News Apps

• Daily Hunt
• News Dog

Online Book Reading Apps

• Pratilipi

Health Apps

• Heal of Y

Lifestyle Apps

• POPXO

Knowledge Apps

• Vokal

Music Apps

• Hungama
• Songs.pk

Blogging/ Micro Blogging

• Yelp
• Tumblr
• Reddit
• FriendsFeed
• Private Blogs