Google removes app that helped eliminate Chinese apps from phones
Remove Chinese Apps was suspended for going against the search giant's Deceptive Behavior Policy.
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An app called Remove Chinese Apps was itself removed from the Play Store.
Google has reportedly pulled an app from the Play Store designed to find and remove Chinese apps from people's phones . India-based Remove Chinese Apps was suspended for violating Google's Deceptive Behavior Policy, which, in part, bans apps that "mislead users into removing or disabling third-party apps." Gadgets 360 earlier reported the news.
OneTouch AppLabs, the maker of Remove China Apps, tweeted about the suspension from Google Play on Tuesday. A Google representative pointed to the company's Deceptive Behavior Policy, which doesn't allow apps that alter a user's device settings or features outside of the app without their knowledge and consent.
The move comes at a time of growing anti-China sentiment in India and escalating tensions over a Himalayan border dispute, TechCrunch notes. Many Indian celebrities have also recently endorsed deleting Chinese apps including TikTok, the publication says.
Before it was suspended, Remove Chinese Apps reportedly had more than 5 million downloads since late May. It would scan phones for Chinese apps and give users the option to remove them. Once everything was cleared, a message reading "You are awesome, no China app found," would appear, Reuters reports.