Government Blocks 138 Betting And 94 Loan Apps: Report The reports further stated that this Central government action is being taken by the ministry of electronics and information technology on the recommendation of the ministry of home affairs on emergency blocking of these apps
By Teena Jose
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The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has started to block around 138 betting and 94 loan apps with Chinese links on 'urgent and emergency basis' for their alleged involvement in money laundering and posing threat to India's financial security, according to reports citing sources.
The reports further stated that this Central government action is being taken by the ministry of electronics and information technology on the recommendation of the ministry of home affairs on emergency blocking of these apps. This immediate action comes at a time when some instances of fraudulent practices by loan lending apps have come into notice as a major crackdown in some parts of the country.
Without disclosing the names of the apps that were being blocked, the government is exercising its power under Section 69 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.
"The latest action is part of our overall crackdown on online betting activities. This, along with the online gaming rules, which would be notified shortly, would ensure no betting app operates on the internet, as part of our goal of a safe and trusted internet," said a top government official, as per the reports.
As per earlier reports, the government has made a similar move in which many most popular apps in India were banned including ShareIt, Tik Tok, UC Browser and over 200 apps with Chinese links. In February 2022, the government banned around 54 apps including beauty cameras, alleging that they run malicious software. The government banned these apps on June 29 citing they were prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.
An advisory issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting also stated that since betting and gambling is illegal in most parts of the country, advertisements of these betting platforms as well as their surrogates are also illegal under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Cable TV Network Regulation Act 1995 and the IT Rules, 2021.
