BattleGrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was launched in India in June 2021, after months of anticipation among mobile gamers in the country. However, the game's release was met with controversy, as many people raised concerns about its ties to the Chinese game PUBG Mobile, which had been banned in India in September 2020. Despite these concerns, the game was allowed to launch, but only after making certain changes to comply with Indian laws. Now, there is speculation that BGMI could also face a ban, similar to what happened to PUBG Mobile. In this article, we will discuss the current status of BGMI in India, and the possibility of an unban in the future.
First, let's recap the events that led to the ban of PUBG Mobile in India. In June 2020, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps, including the popular short video app TikTok, citing concerns over national security and data privacy. In September 2020, another 118 Chinese apps were banned, including PUBG Mobile, for the same reasons. The Indian government accused these apps of collecting user data and sending it to servers outside of India, without the users' consent.
The ban of PUBG Mobile in India was a significant blow to the game's developer, Tencent Games, as India was one of its biggest markets. The ban also affected the livelihoods of many Indian gamers, who had built careers and communities around the game. However, the ban did not deter Tencent Games from trying to re-enter the Indian market. In fact, the company has been working closely with the Indian government to address its concerns and make changes to its games that would comply with Indian laws.
Enter BGMI. This game was developed by Krafton, a South Korean company that also owns PUBG Corporation, the developer of PUBG Mobile. BGMI is essentially the same game as PUBG Mobile, but with some minor changes to comply with Indian laws. For example, the game has been renamed to BattleGrounds Mobile India, and all references to China have been removed. The game also has new privacy policies and data storage policies, which comply with Indian laws.
However, despite these changes, there are still concerns about the game's ties to PUBG Mobile and Tencent Games. Some people believe that BGMI is just a rebranded version of PUBG Mobile, with the same underlying code and data collection practices. There are also concerns about Krafton's ownership structure, and whether it has any ties to Tencent Games. These concerns have led to calls for a ban on BGMI, similar to what happened to PUBG Mobile.
So, what is the current status of BGMI in India? As of now, the game is still available for download and play in the country. However, the Indian government has not yet given its official approval for the game. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which is responsible for reviewing and approving apps in India, has not commented on BGMI's status. This has led to speculation that the game could be banned in the future, if the government decides that it poses a threat to national security or data privacy.
However, there is also reason to believe that BGMI could be unban in the future. For one, Krafton has been working closely with the Indian government to address its concerns, and has made significant changes to its games to comply with Indian laws. Additionally, the game has already been downloaded millions of times in India, and has a dedicated community of players. Banning the game could have negative consequences for both Krafton and the Indian gaming industry as a whole.
In conclusion, the future of BGMI in India remains uncertain.
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