On September 2, the Indian government already spoke out that they would be putting a ban on 118 Chinese apps available in the country due to privacy and security concerns. Indian gamers may find it very unhappy as their favorite game title such as PUBG Mobile or Arena of Valor are also included in the list. In fact, the move appears to be the consequence of the geopolitical dispute between India and China, which has taken place for months.
Previously, Indian authorities started to ban 59 apps right after the border clash at Galway Valley on June 15. Indian Army continued lengthening the list with an additional number of 89 apps, including popular games like Clash of Kings and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and ordered the staff to have them uninstalled on their phones. However, PUBG Mobile was only kept under scrutiny at that time and it’s evident that most players were not ready to give up on the game and still expected it to keep living in India.
The official statement from the government of India actually talks a bunch of reports and complaints from different sources and emphasizes the importance of the ban amid the misuse of such mobile apps. They’re accused of stealing and transmitting data to overseas servers outside India.
Speaking of the PUBG Mobile case, this Tencent-backed game hasn’t been caught getting involved in any misdoings directly. It’s understandable why the Chinese company even claims that user data has not been exposed – PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite are still available on Google Play Store and App Store in other countries and they must meet strict security requirements on these reliable platforms. What’s more, the games are operated through AWS servers in India and this obviously complies with the country’s data privacy laws.
As far as we’re concerned, the size of the player base in India really makes sense. Tencent Games meanwhile are doing its best to show the transparency of its business. We all expect PUBG Mobile to revitalize in the country in the nearest future.
"We are looking forward to engaging with the Indian authorities to clarify their long established policy and action in protecting user data in hoped to ensure the continued availability of their products in the India."