The Government of India has directed Google to remove the Chinese video chat app Ablo from its Play Store. The reason behind this action is that the app displayed a wrong map of India, incorrectly presented to the center areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and left the Lakshadavip Islands. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (SOI), while issuing a notice, issued a notice, saying that such a wrong blessing threatens India’s sovereignty and integrity. The notice cited the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1990, which makes India’s wrong depiction a punishable offense, and Section 79 (3) (B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which makes online platforms to remove the material violating Indian laws. While the Google Play Store was still available at the time of ABLO notice, it was already removed from Apple’s App Store in India.

ABLO was a social video chat app developed by MassiveMedia, a Belgian-based company, which was later acquired by the match group-the same original company behind the Tinder and Okcupid. The app fulfilled a global audience and focused on helping users to join the world around the world through live video and instant messaging.

The unique that Ablo was made unique was its inherent translation facility. The app can translate chat and even voice conversations in real time, making users from different countries originally communicate in their original languages. It gained popularity to promote cultural exchange and spontaneous interactions over borders. This app was particularly popular among young users who were eager to meet people from other countries and find out the global approach.

ABLO had a colorful, travel-inspired interface, and was often marketed as a “passport for the world”. This allowed users to choose any country, which they virtually wanted to travel and immediately joined the people there. Although it was not in the form of mainstream in the form of WhatsApp or Instagram, Ablo engraved a niche among users in search of some more searching and comfortable in his social experience.

At the time of removing from the Play Store in India, the app had over 10,000 downloads – a small but active user base. However, its characteristics became secondary in light of a severe issue flagged by Indian authorities – incorrect representation of India’s map.

This is not the first time digital platforms have faced action to present India’s map incorrectly. In 2023, apps such as World Map Quiz and MA2 – President simulator were marked for equal reasons. The survey survey issued a notice to Google about the app world map quiz, in which the areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were incorrectly depicted. Similarly, App MA 2 – President Simulator was also flagged off to incorrectly present the map of India. In 2021, Twitter faced a backlash to display a distorted map in India, showing Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as separate countries. The Government of India took action, and the map was corrected after the protest. In 2023, WhatsApp apologized and removed a video that included India’s wrong map after being called by a Union Minister. In 2025, Google and Apple removed the offline navigation app maps from their store after issuing a takedown notice outside the territory of India and some parts of Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Government of India has stringent laws about depiction of its regional boundaries. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1990, makes the wrong depiction of the map of India a punishable offense, for six months, a fine or imprisonment of both. Additionally, the Information Technology Act, 2000 requires online platforms to remove materials that violate Indian laws. The Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Shreya Singhal vs. India in 2015 also says that platforms should follow legitimate government orders.