SHAREit denies it is a spyware app

SHAREit said it does not compromise on users’ security.

Truecaller, Xiaomi and UC Web have also turned down spyware allegations. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

File sharing platform SHAREit on Monday responded to the alleged list of apps that were banned for Indian Army personnel by Union Home Ministry. The company said it offered a user-friendly content sharing platform and was not a malicious or a spyware application in India.

Reacting to reports that the Indian security establishment asked troops to delete some 40 Chinese mobile apps, including SHAREit, the company said it does not compromise on users' security.

"At SHAREit, we strictly adhere to high security standards and respect our users privacy. We do not compromise on user's security and their privacy is of utmost importance to us. We have a huge user base in India and we are committed to providing better products and service to our users with continuous technological developments," the company said in a statement.

Reports last week alleged that foreign intelligence agencies including from China and Pakistan were using these mobile apps to hack into smartphones.

"We have taken this issue seriously and are investigating the advisory. We are also happy to interact with government and media representatives to give more clarity. As per industry standards, we have also partnered with Amazon AWS [Amazon Web Services] as our infrastructure service provider, aiming to provide fast and secure service to our global users," SHAREit added.

According to reports, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in a November 24 advisory asked troops to delete apps like WeChat, Truecaller, Xiaomi, Weibo, UC Browser and UC News from their smartphones or reformat their devices altogether.

Last week, leading communication app Truecaller also denied any foul play on its part.

"In response to certain reports, we would like to clarify that we are a Sweden-based company. We are not sure why the app is on this list, but we're investigating. Truecaller is not a malware, and all our features are permission based and are disabled by default," the company said in a statement.

Xiaomi has also refuted these reports, saying they take security and privacy very seriously and were currently investigating the advisory.

Responding to the media reports, UC Web said," "Recent media reports regarding Indian troops uninstalling multiple apps have left us aggrieved and hurt. At UCWeb we take security and privacy practices very seriously and work hard to comply with local regulations of each region we operate in, including India. We pride ourselves on having a long-term commitment to India and our millions of Indian users. UC Browser and UC News are neither spyware nor malicious ware as alleged in the reports."