Google and Apple have removed two applications from the Indian App Stores that provided foreign SIM (e-SIM) services. These apps, namely Airalo and Holafly, have been taken down from the Play Store and App Store following orders from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) of the Indian government. The government expressed concerns that these apps were being used for cyber fraud. In simple terms, these two apps, which facilitated obtaining foreign SIM cards, are no longer available for download in India. Additionally, the government has instructed Indian Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecom companies to block the websites of these two apps in the country.
The banned apps are Airalo and Holafly. These apps can no longer be downloaded from the Google Play Store in India. Although Google and Apple have not officially commented on this matter so far, they removed these apps after the government’s order on Thursday, January 4.
Reasons behind the ban include concerns that cybercriminals were misusing unauthorized e-SIMs for committing cybercrimes and deceiving innocent citizens. These e-SIMs contained international phone numbers, making it difficult for cybercriminals to be easily identified.
It’s important to note that foreign SIM providers offering digital commercial calling and internet data packs through e-SIMs require a “No Objection Certificate” (NoC) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). However, other e-SIM providers like Nomad eSIM and aloSIM are still available for download and use on app stores for Indian users.