The Indian government took another step in its march against Chinese apps, banning access to another 118 offerings due to concerns they were secretly collecting user data.

In a statement, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said it banned the apps after receiving information they engaged in activities “prejudicial” to the nation’s sovereignty, security, defence “and public order”.

Big names including mobile game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), search giant Baidu, Alipay and WeChat Work are included in the latest round of bans, which follow two previous exclusions covering a total of 106 Chinese apps.

The ministry claimed it received complaints and reports on apps “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers” located outside India. It added the exclusions would safeguard millions of mobile and internet users while ensuring the “safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace”.