The Indian Army wants its personnel to Delete 89 Apps, ranging from Tiktok, Facebook, Truecaller, and Instagram, to games like PUBG Mobile, and datings apps like Tinder, as well as news apps like Daily Hunt and all ‘private blogs’, according to reports. According to the reports, the army wants personnel to delete these apps to plug the leakage of information. The inclusion of categories like dating apps suggests that the army isn’t just worried about cyber snooping, but also real-world snooping. There is a large overlap with the list of 59 Chinese apps banned by the government, but this list is even larger and isn’t restricted to only apps from China.

The news of restriction on the use of these apps by Indian Army personnel comes days after the Government of India banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, UC News, and CamScanner.

The list of apps the Indian army personnel have reportedly been asked to delete from their smartphones is divided into numerous categories like messaging platforms (Kik, Viber, Hike and others), video hosting (TikTok, Likee and others), content sharing (Shareit, Xender and others), web browsers (UC Browser and UC Browser Mini), video and live streaming (BigoLive, Zoom and others), utility apps (CamScanner, Truecaller and others), gaming apps (PUBG, Mobile Legends and others), e-commerce (AliExpress and others), dating apps (Tinder and others), antivirus (360 Security), news apps (Daily Hunt and others), lifestyle apps (POPXO), music apps (Hungama and others), and blogging (Reddit and others).

Facebook is without a doubt one of the biggest names in the list. So are apps like Instagram and Zoom.

The ban is clearly related to the tensions that are taking place between India and China, but unlike the government list, this ban will only apply to army personnel. This isn’t the first time that the army has ordered a similar ban either. Earlier this year, the army gave a warning to officers using Facebook and WhatsApp, according to a Gadgets Now report. The order also asked them not to carry smartphones into bases and dockyards as well as onboard warships, and directed the “ban on the use of Facebook by all naval personnel and ban on the use of smartphones within naval bases/establishments/dockyards / onboard warships.”