Amid nationwide calls for boycott of Chinese products, India on Monday banned calls 59 Chinese mobile apps including popular short video making platform TikTok. 

The ban comes two weeks after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash at Galwan Valley in Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 

These apps are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," the government said in an order issued on Monday. 

The ban has been issued under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 by the Ministry of Information Technology. 

The ministry said it has decided to block 59 apps in view of the emergent nature of threats.

In view of the information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order, the order said. 

The ministry said it has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.

The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures, it added. 

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. The IT Ministry has also received many representations raising concerns from citizens regarding security of data and risk to privacy relating to operation of certain apps.

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) has also received many representations from citizens regarding security of data and breach of privacy impacting upon public order issues. 

This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace, the ministry went on to say.