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Battlegrounds Mobile India, better known as BGMI, was recently banned in India. What fans initially thought was a technical glitch turned out to be a nightmare when the government prohibited the use and download of the battle royale title within the country.
In fact, the game has now been pulled from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, and individuals will no longer be able to download it on their devices. Additionally, in-game purchases have also been restricted.
According to what is known, the government imposed this restriction under Section 69A. Readers can check out the information provided below to get more details about this specific section and the game’s prohibition.
Details about Section 69A of the IT act and BGMI’s ban
Essentially, Section 69A of the IT Act provides the government with the power to issue directions for blocking public access to any information through any computer resource. A vital sub-section of the same reads:
“Where the Central Government or any of its officers specially authorised by it in this behalf is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above, it may subject to the provisions of sub-section (2) for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct any agency of the Government or intermediary to block for access by the public or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource.”
From the above, it is understood that the game has violated certain laws, which led to the suspension taking place. In September 2020, the government banned numerous Chinese applications, including PUBG Mobile (global version of BGMI), for the very same reason.
However, it is worth noting that there has not been any formal press release regarding the ban on the game.
Response of Krafton to the ban
Sean Hyunil Sohn, the CEO of Krafton India, recently released a statement in which he provided fans with an update. In response to the ban, he had stated that the security and privacy of the user are of the utmost importance. He further added that they had been compliant with the laws and regulations in India, including data production laws and regulations.
Sean Hyunil Sohn also thanked the fanbase for their continued support towards BGMI. He finally concluded by saying that Krafton has been communicating with the concerned authorities and is trying to resolve the issues.
Following this statement, players are advised to wait for more developments from the developers’ side and should not resort to panic. They will likely provide more clarity regarding the game’s future soon.
