BGMI to be banned? Reason and all you need to know about it!

The Battleground Mobile India (BGMI) may get banned again in India. The cybersecurity division of the Indian government has suggested the ban in a recent report. The article covers the reason and effect of the BGMI ban on the gaming industry. 

BGMI to be banned?

The fate of the popular gaming app Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) in India is a little uncertain as the Indian government may prohibit the gaming app again this year. 

The Cyber security division of the Indian government is concerned about the potential data transfers to servers linked with China and recommended banning the gaming app in India. 

Previously, the government banned the game in 2022 and unbanned it on 20 March 2023.

BGMI is another version of PUBG available only in India, it was introduced after the Indian government banned the PUBG game in 2020.

It was launched on 18 August 2021 for iOS devices and 2 July 2021 for Android devices. It is a multiplayer shooter game, where 100 players compete in a battle royale for survival. 

Reason for the 2024 BGMI Ban 

The government is making efforts to reduce cybercrimes and data breaches in India. Last year the government of India banned many Chinese applications to safeguard the interests and rights of citizens and protect the country from potential cyber crime. 

Now, there is a possibility that the Indian gaming industry will see the ban of BGMI for the following reasons: 

• The Cyber Security Division of India is suspicious of BGMI server connection to China, which can lead to potential data transfer. This raised the government’s concerns about the inappropriate use of user data, such as location, sensitive information, audio recordings, etc. In 2022 as well the government banned the BGMI for its possible link to a Chinese company (AFK gaming).
• Another reason is linked with the case of Pakistani Seema Haider who met Sachin Meena on the gaming platform and came to India allegedly to stay with him with her children. Such instances have brought the attention of cyber security to the misuse of data collected through the gaming platform.
• Other crimes related to the game, such as a teenager killing his mother over the game as she stopped him from playing the game have brought the attention of authorities about the influence of such games on kids and society. 
• The Intelligence Agency and Communication has analyzed the issue and reported that potential data transfer could create targeted cyber attacks on Indian users.  

The above factors can lead to the ban of BGMI again in India to safeguard the data.

When will the decision be made on the BGMI ban?

The ministry reports point out that the current location of the BGMI server is in the United States, and they want to be sure that the data is not going to any other server, which can be a threat to national security. 

The Indian government has sent a detailed query of the concerns over the game to the publisher and developer of the BGMI gaming company Krafton. Krafton is yet to reply on the matter.

A meeting is scheduled next week, where Krafton will present its case on the matter, and the government agencies will review their claims and decide the fate of BGMI in India. 

According to the media reports, the South Korea-based company Krafton will introduce some additional security features for the raised concerns, let’s see what will be decided in the upcoming meeting over the BGMI restriction in India.

Can the BGMI ban impact the Indian Gaming industry?

The Indian gaming industry is emerging as the fastest-growing gaming market in Asia. According to the FICCI-EY report, the Indian gaming industry has around 450 million gamers on various gaming platforms. The BGMI has 100 million users out of which 71.8% of gamers engage in esports. 

The growth of the Indian gaming industry could be affected due to the discontinuation of BGMI and could impact the growing ecosystem of esports players.

The concerns raised by the government are important for the data security of India. The final decision on the ban will be out next week after the government reviews Krafton’s stance on the concerns raised by the authorities.