The Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s domestic spy agency, issued a warning to soldiers not to use certain Chinese eavesdropping Android apps as a matter of national security.
42 Chinese Android apps, including some well-known ones like We Chat, True Caller, UC Browser, and UC News, have been listed by the IB as purportedly gathering crucial data about the Indian security installations.
According to the report, the Intelligence Bureau in a November 24th advisory directed the soldiers assigned on Line of Actual Control (LAC) to uninstall these Chinese spying Android apps from their smartphones and also format the device after uninstallation as it may compromise national security.
Chinese Spying Android Apps:
- ShareIt
- TrueCaller
- UC News
- UC Browser
- BeautyPlus
- NewsDog
- Viva Video – QU Video Inc.
- Parallel Space
- Apus Browser
- Perfect Corp
- Virus Cleaner – Hi Security Lab
- CM Browser
- Mi Community
- Mi Store
- Mi Video call
- Vault Hide – NQ Mobile Security
- YouCam Makeup
- CacheCleaner – DU Apps Studio
- DU Recorder
- DU Battery Saver
- DU Cleaner
- DU Privacy
- DU Browser
- 360 Security
- Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
- Baidu Translate
- Baidu Map
- Wonder Camera – Baidu Inc
- ES File Explorer
- Photo Wonder
- QQ International
- QQ Music
- QQ Mail
- QQ Player
- QQ Newsfeed
- QQ Launcher
- QQ Security Center
- WeSync
- Selfie City
- Mail Master
However, China has a history of snooping on people using Android apps. Many complaints were made in the past concerning UC Browser’s dubious methods for gathering user data and sending it back to China. Now that the issue has received considerable attention, the administration has advised the troops to delete these risky apps in order to prevent eavesdropping by Chinese eyes.
Just keep in mind that by using these apps, you might unwittingly turn against your country because you never know what information these terrible Chinese espionage applications are sending to China.