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Date: August 02, 2023

Remember the news when a lot of Chinese apps were banned by the Indian government? Things might not have become better after that either.

“Out of sight, out of mind” this quote has played a good supporting role for many Chinese applications that still exist in a lot of our mobile phones. Even though the Indian government and the governments of multiple countries published a list of banned Chinese apps on their public portals just two years ago, we have seen a huge comeback from China in terms of getting their applications placed in our phones again. The reason? The list got old and people knowing that VPNs exist, still continue to use hazardous applications.

Which apps crossed the ban barrier?

While there is a new list of apps that are suspicious, have low security measures, and secret propaganda hidden in them, one app is making the rounds on the internet quite a lot.

It’s weirdly named as ‘Pinduoduo’

The reason why we are highlighting this app is because it is not just a Chinese app that came into our phones through silent marketing tactics. It’s a Chinese agritech app owned by an already controversial Chinese conglomerate PDD, that has faced scrutiny over its data privacy practices and potential risks as a spyware. Reports have indicated that the app collects vast amounts of user data, including personal information and browsing habits. Such extensive data collection raises concerns about user privacy and the potential misuse of this information. 

As a popular platform, Pinduoduo's vast user base makes it an attractive target for data mining and espionage activities. Additionally, given the app's origin in China, where data regulations and government oversight are less stringent compared to other countries, there are worries about the potential for user data to be accessed or shared without users' knowledge or consent.

Why is it threatening?

The Chinese government has a strict rule for indigenous businesses operating in foreign countries that all the data useful for the National benefit shall be handed over to such companies with full autonomy of usage to the government.

The remaining list of apps that are high on the suspicion radar is:

• Shein - One of most downloaded shopping apps in India, now banned for selling shoddy materials.
• Turbo VPN - With over 100 million downloads across the world, this one has the highest number of Chinese nationals as its directors.
• WeChat & UC Browser - These two are owned by the most valued Chinese companies in the digital world Tencent and Alibaba, who also have direct investment from the Chinese government in them.

If you have one of these applications in your phone, we advise you to delete them right away and also go check the data breach status of your Email ID at https://haveibeenpwned.com/

By Arpit Dubey

Arpit is a dreamer, wanderer, and a tech nerd who loves to jot down tech musings and updates. With a logician mind, he is always chasing sunrises and tech advancements while secretly preparing for the robot uprising.