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Google has pulled the Mitron app an alternative for TikTok in India from its Google Play Store on Tuesday as per reports.
Google has not specified the exact reason as to why the app was delisted from its app store. However, it is likely to have removed the app owing to the rising security and privacy concerns, Indian Express reported.
The TikTok lookalike app published by Mitron TV that had been launched earlier this year has been under the scanner after it had been revealed that the app had not been developed by an IIT student as advertised earlier.
The app’s source code had bee n purchased from a Pakistani software developer company, Qboxus, News 18 had reported.
Irfan Sheikh, founder and chief executive of Qboxus, had said the app was not a “Made in India” app as promoted. It was his company that had sold the source code of their app to Mitron’s promoter for $34.
Security issues
Furthermore, the app had major security issues and weak privacy policy.
According to Satyajit Sinha, a cybersecurity researcher at Counterpoint the app was “risky to use “ as it did not have any additional firewall or software security on top of the source code, Indian Express had reported.
“The privacy policy is weak and that can put user data at risk in the long run,” Sinha had said as quoted by the report.
As per Qboxus the company that sold the source code, it is the buyer’s responsibility to follow privacy protocols and ensure that the app is safe, the report said.
Google had confirmed the removal of the Mitron app stating that it doesn’t comply with Google’s privacy policies.
According to an NDTV report, the app had garnered popularity in India due to the association of its name with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and anti-Chinese sentiments brewing among Indians which had negatively impacted TikTok. The Mitron had a 4.7 rating on Google Play Store with over 5 million downloads.
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