Indian Government is all set to Block 138 betting applications and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese linkages- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has started the process to “urgently” and “emergency” prohibit and block 138 betting applications and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese linkages in response to a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The action was initiated after it was established that these apps fall under Section 69 of the IT Act because they include content that is detrimental to India’s sovereignty and integrity. The decision to take this action was motivated by numerous allegations of harassment and extortion of regular individuals who had obtained minor loans through the mobile apps operated by such organizations and people.
On a communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has initiated the process to ban and block 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese links on an “urgent” and “emergency” basis. pic.twitter.com/TDGnEIvNtr
— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2023
Indian Government to Block 138 betting and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese linkages
According to information provided by ANI, desperate people are persuaded to take out loans, after which the interest is hiked up by as much as 300% annually. People working for these applications began harassing the borrowers when they discovered that they couldn’t even pay the interest on their debts. They threatened to disclose their altered images and humiliated them by sending messages to their contacts while sending them obscene texts.
The issue gained attention after a number of people committed suicide, mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, after taking such loans or losing money to betting applications. The Union Home Ministry was then requested to take action against these apps by a number of states and central intelligence agencies, according to sources.
The Union Home Ministry began looking into 28 loan lending apps with connections to China last year, but it was later found that there are actually 98 of these apps available for download in India through e-stores and outside networks.
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