Apple, Google ban two apps in India after amid DoT crackdown

DoT

Google and Apple gave the boot to the global eSIM apps Airalo and Holafly from their app stores in India. This move comes in response to orders from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to tackle cyber fraud.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has told internet service providers and telecom companies to shut down access to the websites linked to these apps, as per Times of India. The ban comes because scammers in India have been up to cyber mischief, using unauthorized eSIMs with international phone numbers.

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Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India yanked both Airalo and Holafly, the forbidden apps, following the DoT’s directives. The Department of Telecommunications, working under the telecom ministry, took the step to tackle cyber fraud. Furthermore, the authorities have called on internet service providers and telecom companies to put the brakes on access to the websites linked to these apps within the country.

The apps in the hot seat are Airalo and Holafly, dishing out eSIM services worldwide. Google Play Store gave them the boot specifically for the Indian users. Oddly enough, there’s no official word from Apple or Google about this move.

For instance, when you peek at the Google Play store, Holafly says it’s “not available in your region” now. The companies acted swiftly, aligning with the DoT’s orders that rolled in on January 4. The government put the kibosh on these apps because sneaky fraudsters were using unauthorized eSIMs with international numbers to pull off cybercrimes and con innocent folks.

Worth noting is that eSIM service providers, offering digital SIM cards for calls and internet sans the physical card, need a thumbs-up from the DoT (Department of Telecommunications). On the flip side, other eSIM providers like Nomad eSIM and aloSIM are still up for grabs, and users in India can snag and use them through these app stores.

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Rohan Sharma