PUBG MOBILE banned in India along with 117 more Chinese apps

PUBG MOBILE and 117 more Chinese apps have been blocked by the Government of India amid fresh tension over Chinese provocation in Ladakh. A government statement said the move was necessitated to protect country’s sovereignty and integrity.

Reports suggest there are close to 33 million active PUBG users in India.

The mobile game has been banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, on grounds that “they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

“This move would safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users,” said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The ministry said it acted on the basis of several complaints from various sources including reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.

The home ministry’s cybercrime centre too had recommended blocking “malicious apps”.