PUBG Mobile has been banned in India by the government on the grounds that the app is a threat to national sovereignty and integrity. The ban was announced late on Wednesday, and aside from PUBG Mobile, another 117 apps were also banned, including Alipay, Arena of Valor, Knives Out, and PUBG Mobile Lite. This is a ban that has been developing for some time now, after the government first banned 59 apps in June, and then later in July, included PUBG Mobile on a list of apps to be considered for ban.
Now that it has been banned by the government, people are looking to find alternatives to the game. However, this is not the first controversy that has rocked PUBG Mobile. The hugely popular game has faced bans and controversies before in India, with multiple government officials calling it out as being harmful for the education of students. Here’s a look back at some of the big challenges that the game has faced in India in the past.
- PUBG Mobile was banned in Rajkot for creating a negative impact on the minds of players. The Rajkot Police issued a notice stating that anyone can complain against someone playing the game and if found guilty, strict action would be taken.
- A teenager in Punjab reportedly spent Rs. 16 lakhs from his parents’ bank accounts on PUBG Mobile earlier this year, to upgrade his character in the game. Another teenager — also in Punjab — used his grandfather’s Paytm account to spend Rs. 2 lakh in the game.
- The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association had asked the governor of the state to ban PUBG due to the poor 10th and 12th board results.
- The game also included a feature that was rolled back because it was alleged that it hurt the religious sentiments of some players, in June this year.
- There have also been news reports alleging that the game has caused violence and blaming PUBG addition for violent acts in the last year or two.
Should the government explain why Chinese apps were banned? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.