Govt initiates ban of 138 betting apps, 94 loan apps, Check list

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) hasinitiated the process to ban and block 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese links on emergency basis, reported sources.

The MeitY has received communication from Union Home Ministry to carry out the ban of these apps.

According to reports, these action has been decided to be taken after confirming that these apps attract Section 69 of the IT Act as they contain material which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India.

The Union Home Ministry found that out of 288 Chinese loan lending apps, which were under analysis six months ago, 90 apps available on e-stores are working through third-party links.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) stated that as betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country, advertisements of these betting platforms, as well as their surrogates, are also illegal under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Cable TV Network Regulation Act 1995 and the IT Rules, 2021.

Moreover, reliable sources stated that these apps can also be misused by bad people as tools for espionage and propaganda. These apps were also said to pose a security risk to the data of the Indian citizens.

As per sources, various states like Telangana, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh as well as central intelligence agencies had asked the Union Home Ministry to take action against these apps.

The banned apps are reportedly developed in China but Indians were placed in director positions, said reports. These apps were then used to lure innocent people into taking a loan and burdened them with huge interest rate. When they were unable to pay repay the interest let alone the entire loan, individuals representing these apps started the cycle of harassing those in debt.

They were threatened and blackmailed. The issue came to highlight when many cases of suicides, particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, by those who opted for such loans or lost money to betting apps were brought to light.

(Source: News18)