Battlegrounds Mobile India banned by Indian government over “national security concerns”

PUBG is a massively popular game across the world, drawing in millions of players on the mobile version of the game. The app was banned in India last year after the Indian government expressed concerns about data sharing, however. And now, Battlegrounds Mobile India, an Indian-specific version of PUBG, has been banned as well.

The company that developed PUBG is Krafton, a South Korean company that is backed by the Chinese game developer Tencent. Because of the political tension between the Indian and Chinese governments, India has removed the apps over purported concerns that data the app collects could be used against the country.

Reuters‘ report features comments from an Indian government official who said the government has been removing a variety of Chinese apps since 2020 because of “national security concerns.” It’s doing so through an information technology law that allows the country to ban any apps it fears may pose a risk to its citizens and the country.

This move from the Indian government follows roughly two years of an Indian and Chinese border dispute in the northern part of India. After complaints of unapproved construction, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed on May 5, 2020, resulting in the deaths of servicemembers on both sides. The removal of PUBG and other apps served as economic sanctions during the summer of 2020.

While there continues to be political discord between the two countries, it is likely that Indian players won’t see Battlegrounds Mobile India for a while, if ever again.