In a major crackdown, the government has ordered removal of three Chinese apps — BAT-BMS, Lossigy, Epoch-i-ion — that were being misused to remotely disable battery-operated vehicles in the country, sources said on Friday.

The action from the government came after some videos surfaced showing that some e-rickshaws were being rendered inoperable through a remote shutdown feature linked to the Chinese smartphone application BAT-BMS.

These videos sparked widespread concerns over the cybersecurity risks posed by such internet-connected vehicle management systems.

Sources said that the government has ordered removal of BAT-BMS, Lossigy, Epoch-i-ion apps being misused in remotely disabling battery-operated vehicles.

Any other such app being misused will also be blocked, government sources warned.

Earlier on Friday, IT Secretary S Krishnan – speaking on the sidelines of a CII Cybersecurity summit – asserted that app stores must exercise due diligence, and said the government would take up the matter with them to ensure that potentially harmful apps are not made available.

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