Days after ban on Chinese apps, PM Modi's Weibo account goes blank in China: Report

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Weibo account in China went blank on July 1, days after the Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese apps. The prime minister's photos, comments and posts were removed from the handle, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The development also comes 10 days after three official statements, including one from the prime minister, were deleted from the Indian embassy's official account on WeChat.

Both WeChat and Weibo are Chinese social media enterprises. PM Modi's Weibo account was set up in 2015 before his first official visit to China as the prime minister.

This move on India's part comes amid heightened tensions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the violent face-off between the two countries in Ladakh's Galwan Valley region.

India's Information and Technology Ministry had said that it 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 unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.

As a result, India banned 59 Chinese apps including popular ones such as TikTok, SHAREit, Weibo, among others.

The Ministry of Information Technology issued a statement saying, these apps are engaged in activities which are "prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.