Mitron app’s short-lived fame comes to an end as it gets removed from Google Playstore

• Mitron TV has been removed from Google Playstore and its security has been questioned by experts.
• Irfan Sheikh, founder of Pakistani company Qboxus, from whom the source code was bought, told Business Insider that the security is usually taken care of by the buyer.
• Mitron TV gained attention for being India’s answer to TikTok and for using PM Modi’s favourite word – Mitron.

The Mitron TV app shot to fame last week as within two months the TikTok clone app had seen over 5 million downloads. But it turned out to be short lived as it has been removed from Google Playstore for violating its spam and multiple functionality policy, according to reports.

While it gained attention for being India’s answer to TikTok and for using PM Modi’s favourite word – Mitron, the app had also drawn attention soon after that as the original source code was bought from Pakistani software developing company Qboxus.

“The source code of TicTic is available on CodeCanyon for only $34. The developer just changed the package name, brand name, splash screen, and some strings,” said Qboxus.

The security of the app had also been questioned. “It’s risky to use Mitron app given it doesn’t have any additional firewall or software security on top of the source code. The privacy policy is weak and that can put user data at risk in the long run,” Satyajit Sinha, cybersecurity researcher at Counterpoint told Indian Express.

Irfan Sheikh, founder of Qboxus, from whom the source code was bought said that they sell products as a template and so they mostly keep it simple and mostly put the attention on the cloning of features of trending apps.

“Security is something that has to be taken care of by the buyer according to his/ her app needs. We build apps mostly keeping in mind of our customer needs. Since our target market does not have enough budget so mostly invest on cloning the features instead of investing on security and other things. And also our buyers expect an easy approach and they can be easily deployable. Also keep in mind that we are selling it merely for $34. So you cannot expect it fills all the ingredients of the original app. And only 2 out of 100 customers ask us regarding security. Most are more concerned with cloning and other app features,” Sheikh told Business Insider.

The short video platform had got a 4.7 star rating on Google Play store. This comes at a time when the popular video platform it is a copy of – TikTok saw its ratings dwindle, because of several factors including the fact that it is a Chinese app. TikTok’s rating took another beating after the YouTube vs TikTok fight.

SEE ALSO:

Yes Bank is looking to raise ₹10,000 crore through FPO – with Kotak Securities, Axis Capital, and SBI Capital reportedly to be key players

Want a haircut? You won’t get one without an Aadhaar Card during Unlock 1.0

Samsung Galaxy M11, Galaxy M01 with up to 5,000mAh battery launched starting at ₹8,999