[ikk157]

Great point.  It's a global Chinese phenomenon.


True.  However it looks like the apps will be banned through instructions to the ISPs and maybe even through Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store:

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explai...d-6482150/

That confirms my side of the discussion I had with @sohamb03 on discord.

From the information you’ve provided above, I can see that the ban will work as follows:

ISPs will be forced to block the app’s api, and hence internet-dependent apps such as TikTok won’t be able to communicate to the api (as it’s blocked), hence it won’t work. But that’s insanely easy to bypass through a VPN.

Both the google and appstore won’t offer the apps to anyone in india. HOWEVER, with the appstore, apple will most likely simply remove the apps from the indian store. Which is also easy to bypass by using an account with the country set to anywhere else. This would work because apple doesn’t bother tracing your IP location... so if you let’s say have a US account but you’re living somewhere else, you’ll have full access to all US content from apple’s side without even needing to use a VPN. Which is the exact opposite to what services such as Netflix are doing.

Not sure how things will go from Google play’s side though as I don’t use android so I’m not familiar with how things work with it. But in honesty, you can just install the app apk on android if google play blocks it.

[deanhills]

@ikk157 thx for the feedback. I'm beginning to wonder whether there is the possibility of replicating those apps in India. I.e. can they make their own version of the same app in India for example with a few embellishments? Like India IT is at the forefront of the world - surely they can easily create their own apps and app stores? Like TikTok has millions of users. Instead of taking it from China maybe they could create their own version?

[ikk157]

@ikk157  thx for the feedback.  I'm beginning to wonder whether there is the possibility of replicating those apps in India.  I.e. can they make their own version of the same app in India for example with a few embellishments?  Like India IT is at the forefront of the world - surely they can easily create their own apps and app stores?  Like TikTok has millions of users.  Instead of taking it from China maybe they could create their own version?

That’s definitely a possibility... I know they have the capability of creating their own versions of the apps they’ve banned, which eliminates them having to use chinese apps (which is their goal).

The real challenge would be how well the citizens would accept those replicas. I’m sure many won’t be a big fan of the replicas and would prefer the real thing.

For example, TikTok has a huge user base, and hence i much bigger community and more content. Even if they develop their own app which behaves like TikTok, they’ll never be able to get the large community advantage that TikTok has. Hence people might not find a point using it in the first place.

And in all honesty, I doubt that people would be too bothered developing their own versions lf these apps. As described in my previous post, it’s extremely easy to bypass the ban... which leaves people with no good reason to develop their own version.

[rudra]

yes... we all think india is at the forefront of IT. But even if there are many indian origin good programmers , good entrepreneurs are not many How many Made in india popular apps do you know ? all the lists you will find in your search will consist of many apps from companies funded by Chinese capital. So there you go....

we see a lot of languages and standards and frameworks. How many of them are made or designed by indians ?

India may be good at producing It professionals ( Many of them finish their training outside or in corporate world.... ahem ahem ). But producing good number of employment ready ones or entrepreneurs.... you probably know the picture. we have the same few big families running big companies and they are using all financial and political might to stay they way they are..behemoths.... we hear alot of hype about start up...but here too, in comparison to China, we are miles behind.

It is not because we lack talent. it is cause of our political and social environment.

anyways... thanks for this great discussion, guys.

[tryp4vps]

@ikk157 thx for the feedback. I'm beginning to wonder whether there is the possibility of replicating those apps in India. I.e. can they make their own version of the same app in India for example with a few embellishments?

I would wonder if people really go making their own versions of the same apps in India.

Because it will not be a small investment. And if India suddenly changes her mind and decides to unban these apps a couple of days later, such investment will surely become a big loss.

[deanhills]

I would wonder if people really go making their own versions of the same apps in India.  

Because it will not be a small investment. And if India suddenly changes her mind and decides to unban these apps a couple of days later, such investment will surely become a big loss.  

I don't think so @tryp4vps  Obviously there is lots of money to be made as there were millions of users of the TikTok App alone.  India has one of the most thriving IT hubs in the world, almost on equal with Silicon Valley if one looks at Bangalore for example.  Possibly they need to be a bit more bold.  China was in the same position up to even a decade ago, before they became bold.  So why not India - they could export the apps internationally as well.

I can't see the Prime Minister of India unbanning any of the apps soon - like wouldn't that weaken his popularity in a big way?  One of his points - a big one - causing the banning was the military who were using these apps and the ability of the app owners to gain valuable military strategic information?  The threat that was given as the cause for the ban I can't see going away any time soon.

[OldMeister]

i really do not understand how the government thought it will help ban china's Apps. i mean the only people who will suffer from it is the civilians who loves this apps and have nothing to do with the war. about war i barley believe it will happen because the virus is still around and no one has money to prepare such a war against other country.

[deanhills]

i really do not understand how the government thought it will help ban china's Apps. i mean the only people who will suffer from it is the civilians who loves this apps and have nothing to do with the war. about war i barley believe it will happen because the virus is still around and no one has money to prepare such a war against other country.

@OldMeister  In the same way China has been mass producing goods and exporting them VERY AGGRESSIVELY in HUGE volumes at cheap prices all over the world to gain economic superiority and beat the world in the economy, including having a great effect on the currencies to China's benefit.  China is trying to spy on people all over the world, particularly people in strategic positions, and not only people from India.  The difference with India is that India took a stand on this.  During the last border issues with China, India discovered that the apps helped China to pinpoint strategic military positions, in other words gaining military information and details of the military in military zones.

Yes, civilians are innocent, but because of being innocent they are being taken advantage off.  I think all of us are being taken advantage off by conglomerates like Google, Microsoft, and many more.  But in this case in particular, there has to have been a very good reason for banning the apps.  More than the Google type complaint.  And it had to do with the military. India must have been able to prove to itself that its soldiers on the border released information to China through the apps.  I.e. the apps could be used for spy ware by China because of the way it controls everything in China.

[tryp4vps]

I don't think so @tryp4vps  Obviously there is lots of money to be made as there were millions of users of the TikTok App alone.  India has one of the most thriving IT hubs in the world, almost on equal with Silicon Valley if one looks at Bangalore for example.  Possibly they need to be a bit more bold.  China was in the same position up to even a decade ago, before they became bold.  So why not India - they could export the apps internationally as well.

I can't see the Prime Minister of India unbanning any of the apps soon - like wouldn't that weaken his popularity in a big way?  One of his points - a big one - causing the banning was the military who were using these apps and the ability of the app owners to gain valuable military strategic information?  The threat that was given as the cause for the ban I can't see going away any time soon.

Good points. I would partially agree with you then.

But I still believe that India and China should not be enemies of each other.

I hope they can think more about how to find a good solution, rather than just thinking about their own internal popularity or political needs.

[Decent12]

The current situation all around the world is not a good since every country trying to down another country as we can see the current situation America-India trying destroy china economy whereas India is messing every neighbour country.
So the banning of china applications was a good step toward protection information.
I heard somewhere Pakistan is also trying to produce their own applications and ban American applications