PUBG Mobile Game Ban: Will govt ban Battlegrounds Mobile India too? Big RTI revelation

PUBG Mobile Game Ban: RTO response by the Government indicates when exactly PUBG successor game, Battlegrounds Mobile India, can be banned.

Representational image: Battlegrounds Mobile India, the successor to PUBG Mobile in India, could face a ban in the country according to the response to an RTI request. (KRAFTON)

PUBG Mobile Game Ban: Gamers are excited about the fact that Battlegrounds Mobile India, the successor to the banned PUBG Mobile India game, is likely to be launched soon. However, they are also worried about whether government will impose a fresh ban on the new game, Battlegrounds Mobile India too. A number of legislators in India have called for action against the game due to privacy concerns.

Notably, Battlegrounds Mobile India has become one of the most anticipated games to be released in the country this year. There is huge hype and excitement surrounding it. Less than a year after the wildly popular PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile (also known as PUBG Mobile India) was banned in the country along with several other China-linked apps over security concerns, the new Battlegrounds Mobile India app is expected to be released in the country very soon – with some estimating it could arrive as early as tomorrow, even though the game's publisher has not officially revealed a release date.

However, Battlegrounds Mobile India has been facing pushback from some quarters in the country in the form of politicians opposing the launch of the game. While PUBG Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India are both developed by South Korean game publisher Krafton, the demand for a ban has been growing, while the game itself continues to grow in popularity - it racked up 20 million pre-registrations on the Google Play Store within two weeks, last month.

Battlegrounds Mobile India Ban

Now, according to a report by BGR, the IT Ministry has responded to an RTI filed by a Twitter user Dr Gaurav Tyagi, which requested details on whether the upcoming Battlegrounds Mobile India game could be banned in the country. The report states that the response of the IT Ministry to the RTI revealed that the game cannot be banned until it is launched in the country – but once it is officially launched, it could face a ban under section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Readers will remember that this was the same fate met by the apps with Chinese links banned by the government.

As part of my research on predatory practise of Chinese companies in India and it's impact on National Security, had filed an RTI about the relaunch of PUBG Mobile in India by Krafton (in which the Chinese behemoth has the second largest stake). pic.twitter.com/WL5rkThdOb

— Dr Gaurav Tyagi (@drtyagigaurav) June 13, 2021

Battlegrounds Mobile India Ban Calls

We had previously reported that Arunachal Pradesh MLA Ninong Ering had written to the Prime Minister's Office opposing the launch of the game and requesting the Prime Minister to “not allow Chinese deception” and called it a “big threat to (the) security of India and privacy of our citizens”. He had termed the re-launch a way to “circumvent and disregard” the country's laws by attempting to alter the name of the game, make a few modifications, and re-launch the game in the country.

Meanwhile, Krafton has posted a news update on its website for Battlegrounds Mobile India, stating: “With privacy and data security being a top priority, KRAFTON will be working with partners, to ensure data protection and security, at each stage. This will ensure privacy rights are respected, and all data collection and storage will be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in India and for players here," the company had stated.