US Urges Europe to Uproot Chinese Security-Screening Company, Says it is Threat to Western Business

The United States is targeting China's largest maker of security-screening equipment, Nuctech Co, saying its expanding presence in Europe is a threat to Western security and businesses, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

A campaign reportedly led by the National Security Council and a handful of US agencies is trying to rally European governments to uproot Nuctech Co, a well connected Chinese state-controlled maker of cargo and luggage screening technology whose systems are becoming a fixture at ports and border crossings.

Meanwhile, amid border tensions with China, the Narendra Modi-led Central government on Monday banned 59 mobile apps including Tik Tok, UC Browser and other Chinese apps "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity and defence" of the country.

All the apps banned have some preferential Chinese interest and majority have parent Chinese companies.

The Ministry of Information Technology, in its release, said that it has decided to block 59 apps in view of the information available that "they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order".

The statement also said that the Ministry of Information Technology had received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside the country.

Law, Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government banned the apps for safety, security, defence, sovereignty and integrity of India.

"For safety, security, defence, sovereignty and integrity of India and to protect data and privacy of people of India the Government has banned 59 mobile apps. Jai Hind!," he said in a tweet.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps.