Internet services providers to block access to 59 Chinese apps banned by govt

NEW DELHI: The 59 Chinese apps banned by the government on Monday will be blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in India, and users who have downloaded them will not receive updates, a senior government official said. While that sounds a lot like the government’s ban on porn websites, which also happens through ISPs, it’s unclear what “not getting updates” mean.

It’s likely that Apple and Google won’t be allowed to list the apps on their app stores in the country. Banning through ISPs though means that using virtual private networks (VPNs) may still let users access these apps and services.

Mint has written to both Apple and Google for confirmation on this. This story will be updated to reflect the same when they respond.