BGMI returns: Why did Centre ban Battlegrounds Mobile India? How is it back?

The Indian government has allowed the return of the popular Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) app – for now BGMI, an online multiplayer shooting game, was removed from the Google Play store and the Apple App Store in July 2022 before being banned in September 2022. But why the app was banned? What happens next? And what other games have been banned in the country? Let’s take a closer look:  Why was it banned? According to News18, the game was banned after a report by an intelligence agency and a direction from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The report spoke about how the app could create a security threat by harvesting user data.

The report also said it was feared that the app was communicating with Chinese servers.

According to Business Insider, the game developer Krafton said it knew about the issues and was working on it. The Chinese developer Tencent – which developed PUBG – at the time had a 13.5 per cent stake in South Korea’s Krafton. As per NDTV,  the IT ministry at the time said BGMI and other Chinese apps were “engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". _Business Inside_r quoted a Google spokesperson as saying, “On receipt of the order, following the established process, we have notified the affected developer and have blocked access to the app that remained available on the Play Store in India.” The game at the time had a massive following in India with over 100 million players, as per Business Insider. BGMI was becoming a popular eSport with huge prizes up for grabs at tournaments. [caption id=“attachment_10975871” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The game at the time had a massive following in India with over 100 million players.[/caption] The Centre blocked the game under the same provision of the IT law it invoked to ban Chinese apps on national security grounds. Section 69A of the IT law allows the government to block public access to content in the interest of national security, among other reasons. Orders issued under the section are generally confidential in nature. This also came months after a non-profit PRAHAR urged the Centre to block the game. PRAHAR claimed the BGMI was a new avatar of PUBG and that it poses a grave threat to the security, sovereignty and integrity of India. PRAHAR’s demand was echoed by the RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) which at the time pointed to Krafton’s ‘strategic partnership’ with Tencent. What happens next? The app will remain available for a trial period of three months. Deputy IT minister  Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted:

“We will keep a close watch on other issues of user harm, addiction etc in next three months before a final decision is taken,” Chandrasekhar told Tech Crunch. According to Tech Crunch, Krafton since the ban cut ties with Tencent and moved to a server in India.  “We are highly grateful to the Indian authorities for allowing us to resume operations of Battlegrounds Mobile India. We would like to extend our gratitude to our Indian gaming community for their support and patience over the past few months,” Krafton chief executive Sean Hyunil Sohn said. “We are excited to announce that Battlegrounds Mobile India will be available for download soon and we cannot wait to welcome you back to our platform. We believe in the power of gaming to bring people together and create unforgettable experiences. We are committed to delivering exceptional products and services to our users in India and beyond, and we look forward to continuing our journey with you.” BGMI has said the game will be available for download soon, as per NDTV.  Which other games have been banned?  The Indian government in 2020, amid a tense border dispute with China, had banned 118 apps including PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) under Section 69A of the IT Act. “The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures,” the statement read. “This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace,” News18 quoted the ministry as saying.

PUBG at the time had an estimated 33 million users.

The game a huge fan following in India including tier II cities, and tournaments based on the game see big title sponsors, offering fringe gamers sizeable prize money. The game was popular largely due its clan mode, where four players would come together – at times from different parts of the country – to take on other similar teams in all-out deathmatches.

As per India Today, the Centre banned Clash of Kings and Mobile legends in June 2020.

Mobile Legends had been downloaded over 100 million times and had a 4.2 rating on the Google Play Store, as per Animationxpress.com Clash of Kings had been downloaded over 50 million times and had a 4.1 rating on Google Play, as per the website. In September 2020, the government banned Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade. In February 2022, it banned Garena Free Fire. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook _,_  Twitter  and  Instagram _._