The loss of 20 Indian soldiers may have propelled the ban of over 40 Chinese apps including the widely popular video app, TikTok. Though the ban has not yet taken effect, the Indian government has opened an international conversation regarding “data sovereignty”.
What We Know:
- On June 15th, disputes over the border located in the Himalayan Mountains between India and China caused 20 Indian soldiers to lose their lives and 43 Chinese casualties. This border conflict has occurred for many years but has only recently escalated.
- TikTok, a chinese video-sharing social networking service, has blown up internationally with India leading in user downloads. Indian government officials are banning this app and many other Chinese apps under the pretense of “data sovereignty”. Data sovereignty is the notion that data is under the laws of the country to which it belongs and therefore must remain within its borders. Therefore, the recent Indian legislation may be in response to the apps notorious ability to gather data about users and in turn provide the perfect, user specific content. Though the ban could also be in response to the recent geopolitical conflict between the two countries.
- The Indian government may have initiated other countries to follow suit. Pakistan has recently put TikTok on “final notice” in response to “immoral, obscene, and vulgar” content. Additionally, the United States has joined the conversation with the Trump Administration believing there are privacy and national security concerns to be accounted for.
- Other apps in question include WeChat (messaging software), UC Browser (browser window), Shein (online women’s clothing), and many more.
India has sparked international conversations regarding if the internet should have borders with the recent ban of Chinese apps. The discussion will continue worldwide as the global digital infrastructure continues to grow.
