BGMI likely banned because of China link, reports say Krafton CEO looking into it
At the time of its removal from app stores in India, Krafton said, "We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from the Google Play store and the App store and will let you know once we get specific information".
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was banned from the India-specific Google Play and Apple App Store last week. Although the action title's maker Krafton is yet to officially clarify its situation, it appears that the ban was done following a government order, as pointed out by a Google spokesperson. A separate Reuters report then claimed that BGMI's access on app stores is blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act and links to China. The central government had banned its old iteration, PUBG Mobile India, under the same section. A new report now claims that Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn has issued a statement on BGMI's "ban".
The statement by Sean Hyunil Sohn was seemingly shared internally with India's esports community. A copy of the statement has been shared by Rushindra Sinha, owner of Global Esports, on Twitter. The post highlights that the company has been "working hard" to communicate with the "concerned authorities and resolve the issues".
The statement by the Krafton India CEO adds, "We have always been compliant with all laws and regulations in India, including data protection laws and regulations, and will continue abiding by them".
Why was BGMI removed from Google Play and Apple App Store?
A report by Reuters pointed out that BGMI, just like PUBG Mobile, has been blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The act empowers the government to restrict access to any content in the interest of "sovereignty and integrity of the country". Several Chinese apps, including TikTok, ShareIt, CamScan, WeChat, and more.
A separate report by News18 quoting unnamed officials notes that the delisting (or ban) was triggered by an internal report by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity).
The official also pointed out to the publication that the "application has malicious code and also acquires a host of critical permissions, which could be misused for compromising user data for surveillance through camera/microphone, location tracking, and malicious network activities".
Several lawmakers have also questioned BGMI and other action games' mental impact on children, following a murder case in Lucknow.
What did BGMI say after its removal from Google Play and Apple App Store?
At the time of its removal, Krafton had shared a statement with India Today Tech saying, "We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from the Google Play store and the App store and will let you know once we get specific information".
At the time of its removal, Krafton had shared a statement with India Today Tech saying, "We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from the Google Play store and the App store and will let you know once we get specific information".
