Sea’s Free Fire Among Apps India Bans on China Security Fear

(Bloomberg) — India has banned 54 apps it says are of Chinese origin, including Sea Ltd.’s marquee game Free Fire, citing security concerns, people with knowledge of the matter said, the latest instance of tensions between the two neighbors locked in a protracted border dispute.

Sea’s stock sank as much as 19% in New York on Monday, the steepest decline on record. The apps banned by the South Asian nation’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology include those belonging to large China tech firms such as Tencent, Alibaba and NetEase, and are re-branded versions of apps already banned by India in 2020, the people said asking not to be identified citing rules on speaking to the media.