Last Updated on August 4, 2022 by Anu Joy
A few days back, the BGMI app was removed from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. This move came without any official announcement from either Krafton, the developer of the BGMI mobile game, or from the government of India. This raised concerns among millions of BGMI players, competitive players, online streamers, e-Sports organisations, and others since it’s one of the most loved games in India. Additionally, it would severely impact the e-Sports industry in the country, which is majorly driven by BGMI.
Later, the CEO of Krafton, Sean Hyunil Sohn, penned a letter to the fans saying that Krafton has always tried to abide by the rules set by the Indian government. The company has always been compliant with the data protection laws and regulations of the country and will continue to do so. He thanked BGMI fans for showering the game with love and support and hopes to sort out the issues and help in growing the gaming ecosystem in India.
Why Did The Government Of India Ban BGMI?
Initially, the media speculated that the BGMI ban could be due to a recent incident involving a 16-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh who shot down his mother for not allowing him to play the game. However, this wasn’t the case, as the Government has reportedly restricted the game under Section 69A of The Information Technology Act, 2000. It is the same data protection act under which PUBG mobile was banned two years ago.
Krafton set up the game servers in India before introducing BGMI and assured that the user’s data would be protected and wouldn’t be shared with China. However, according to the findings by the LEA (Law Enforcement Agencies), the company could still be seeding data to the neighbouring country and sees it as a major threat to national security.
What Are The Chances Of BGMI Coming Back?
According to a report, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, Shiva Nandy, commented on the BGMI ban via an Instagram story. He said, “It was not an immediate action. It was in the process for almost five months. In fact, one week before removing the game from the Play Store, an interim notice was sent to Krafton HQ by the government.” He further added, “Two days before the game was removed from the store, we got a hint, and that is why stopped most of the advance amount to be paid for the Skyesports League, LAN Delhi.”
Nandy stressed the fact it is just an interim order by the ministry and there are chances that the game might return as TikTok is also set to make a comeback soon. His words could bring a ray of hope to all the casual gamers and also the professional BGMI players who have been grinding relentlessly to represent India in international leagues and also in local tournaments.
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