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Politician pushes for ban on India's PUBG replacement

Indian legislator cautions game is a risk due to data privacy concerns and ties to Chinese companies

Last week, Indian MLA Ninong Ering called for a ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India, the country-specific version of Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile.

Ering said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted to Twitter, "If the game is allowed to re-launch, in that case, there is a very high potential of a breach of privacy and cybersecurity of our citizens, and all the other risks of addiction, harm, deaths that were seen with PUBG before."

Last year, India banned more than 100 apps with ties to China including PUBG Mobile citing privacy concerns.

In September, Krafton announced plans to release an India-specific version of the game in response to the ban.

Ering was skeptical of the privacy policy of the revised app and its handling of Indian citizens' data.

Battlegrounds Mobile India's privacy policy regarding international data transfer states that personal information will be kept on servers within India and Singapore, will be kept on servers within India and Singapore, although, "We may transfer your data to other countries and/or regions to operate the game service and/or to meet legal requirements.

"In the event of transfer to another country or region, we will take steps to ensure that your information receives the same level of protection as if it remained in India."

Ering called Krafton's planned re-release "a mere illusion and a trick."

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Jeffrey Rousseau

Staff Writer

Jeffrey Rousseau joined GamesIndustry.biz in March 2021. Based in Florida, his work focused on the intersectionality of games and media. He enjoys reading, podcasts, staying informed, and learning how people are tackling issues.