Why government's ban on Chinese apps means danger for BGMI

Following a ban on Gareena Free Fire, the online multiplayer battle royale game in India, a PIL has been filed in the Telangana High Court for a similar ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).

BGMI was introduced in the country as a clone of the popular game PUBG, which was banned in 2020, when the government went on a spree and banned apps that were known to have Chinese connections.

BGMI, a successor to PUBG, made a comeback in India, under KRAFTON, a South Korean publisher. Now, BGMI is looking at the fate that is similar to its predecessor, according to a TOI report.

PRAHAR, a non-governmental organisation, has written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), asking to ban the multiplayer game, under Article 69A of the IT Act. According to the NGO, the game poses a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

The NGO has urged the government to include BGMI in the list of 54 Chinese apps that are going to be banned in India. According to PRAHAR, KRAFTON is a front of Tencent Holdings, China's leading internet company. "PUBG has been re-introduced in India under a new name, in a move that is meant to circumvent the Indian policymakers," said PRAHAR in its letter. With a 15.5 per cent stake, the letter also stated that Tencent is the second-largest shareholder in KRAFTON.

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