New Delhi, July 4 -- The Centre has asked Apple and Google to remove seven mobile apps used to remotely disable battery-operated vehicles, days after videos of pranksters immobilising e-rickshaws with a tap on their smartphones went viral across Indian social media. "Meity issued notice to Google Android and Apple iOS to remove 7 applications from their App Store for misuse of apps for shutting down batteries in e-rickshaws/vehicles," said a government official. The apps - BAT-BMS, SMART BMS, JBD-BMS, XiaoXiangElectrics, JKBMS, Lossigy and Epoch-i-ion - connect to vulnerable Bluetooth-enabled battery management systems (BMS) and have been used to switch off vehicles mid-journey, according to a senior government official at the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity). The action is not being taken under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, typically used to block online content and apps. "It doesn't come within the ambit of 69A," the senior Meity official said.HTC...