Nearly 300 mobile apps have been blocked by the government since 6 years, in the interest of the country's sovereignty, security, and public order.

Union minister Sanjay Dhotre told Rajya Sabha on Thursday. "A total of 296 mobile applications have been blocked by government since 2014, under the provisions of section 69A of IT Act 2000 and its rules... in the interest of sovereignty & integrity of India, security of the State and public order," Dhotre, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, said in a written reply.

The minister further said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had received "several reports about misuse of some Chinese mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms".  He said several reports had been received about some of these apps being misused for "... for stealing and transmitting user data such as financial data, permission for accessing of all possible data available in device, etc and real-time activity surreptitiously to servers located outside India". "This has serious repercussions in light of national security and current tense border situation," he noted.

Usage of these apps by a large number of people in India enables the compilation of huge data that can be collated, analysed, profiled and mined by "elements who are hostile to the sovereignty and integrity of India and for activities detrimental to national security, security of India, defence of India as well as public order, apart from being detrimental to the interest of the general public, Dhotre said.

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