Is China Manipulating Google Against India?

Recently Google removed an Indian app by the name “Remove China App”. The app claimed to identify the applications on android phones originating from China and removed it automatically. Within a week, the app hit millions of downloads on Google play store. However, Google removed the app from the play store and is no more available for download. The app was developed by One Touch App Lab.

Anti-China sentiment has been rising in India since the border dispute between the two nation. Due to coronavirus there was a call to boycott China and Chinese goods, the border dispute acted as an oil to the fire. This is not the first case when Google removed an Indian app opposing China. Recently, the ratings of Tiktok, a Chinese app was downgraded to less than 2 from 4.2 within a day. However, Google removed over 80 lakhs negative ratings on the app and restored it to its previous rating.

China’s Google story does not end here. Prime Minister Modi gave a call to the nation to become self-reliant or “AtmaNirbhar”. Due to coronavirus, economies all around the world has taken a major hit, India could not be spared. When Prime Minister Modi announced an economic package of 20 Lakh crore, he gave a call of “AtmaNirbharBharat” or Self-reliant India. The call was not for boycott of any country it was to make India self-sufficient so that if in future any such incident happens, India becomes sufficient enough to fight against it. An Indian app “AtmaNirbharBharata” was created however before it could be available for downloads, Google Play or China Play Junked the app. This is a clear indication of Google acting in hands of China.

Google has a big market in China, however, such activities of Google may lead to them losing their biggest market, India. Why the apps were removed, or junked Google India needs to answer this. However, it is quite evident that Google is gradually becoming one of the partners of China in spreading the communist propaganda.