Behind the optics: What India's ban on Chinese apps is and isn't

It happened during prime time. The Indian government’s penchant for the dramatic was reinforced when it announced that 59 apps had been banned just when debates on news channels kicked off. The government said that these apps harmed the sovereignty and security of the country. Co-incidentally all of these apps were of Chinese origin. The list of apps included the likes of TikTok, Likee, Bigo Live, UCBrowser, and ShareIT among others. The point of friction has been TikTok and its growing popularity in India.