PUBG Mobile banned: Why has India barred the popular online game?

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has banned PUBG and 117 other apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The fresh list of 118 apps is in addition to the 59 Chinese apps banned by the government earlier. The ban comes amid rising border tensions between India and China. 

So, why has India banned PUBG among these Chinese apps? 

> These apps, according to the government findings, “engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.” The ministry in a statement said, “Government blocks 118 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, Defence of India, Security of State and Public Order."

> PUBG Mobile, in particular, has a massive user base in India. It is a major contribution to the number of downloads and user base, with over 175 million downloads. PUBG has been developed by a South Korean video game company called Bluehole. However, Chinese multinational conglomerate Tencent holds a considerable amount of share in the popular game. 

> MEITY also stated that it has received complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms in stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India. Notably, PUBG recently updated its privacy policy and confirmed that it is storing the data of Indian users in the country. 

> PUBG has been subject to heavy criticism several times in the past but for a different reason. After receiving several complaints from parents and guardians, some state governments across the nation put a temporary ban on the gaming app for its addictive nature that had a psychological impact on players, especially youngsters. PUBG had, then, assured to take feedback from parents, educators and government organisations to create a safe ecosystem that would enhance the game playing experience.