The MLA writes in his letter that Battlegrounds Mobile India is a ‘Chinese deception’ and is a ‘big threat to security of India and privacy of our citizens’.
Requested @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji to not allow Chinese deception #BattlegroundsMobileIndia. It is a big threat to security of India & privacy of our citizens and a way to circumvent & disregard our laws.@AmitShah #IndiaBanBattlegrounds #NationFirst #AatmaNirbharBharat @ANI pic.twitter.com/H8nzUJ4aRk — Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) May 22, 2021
Pune: Ninong Ering, a former union minister and a Arunachal Pradesh MLA, has called for a ban on the relaunch of PUBG Mobile as Battlegrounds Mobile India, on grounds that it would once again give China’s Tencent Holdings access to the Indian market.
Pre-registrations for the Indian version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) opened on the Google Play Store on May 18, eight months after the popular mobile video game was banned in India following border skirmishes with China in May last year.
The game “is a mere illusion and a trick to relaunch the same game with minor modifications and collect user data of millions of our citizens, including our children and transfer it to foreign companies and the Chinese government,” reads the letter. To recall, Battlegrounds Mobile India is expected to be similar to the PUBG Mobile game that was banned in India last year due to privacy and security purposes. Notably, both games have different developers. Meanwhile, the MLA claims that Krafton India has hired employees from Tencent which is a Chinese technology firm and was a huge investor in PUBG Mobile. The letter adds that the Google Play Store URL hints that it is a relaunch of PUBG Mobile in India. He further stated, “United States Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) is currently discussing the potential disinvestment of Tencent from American gaming companies”. Backlash for the requested ban has already started on social media
Battlegrounds Mobile India will be a free battle royale game that is said to be similar to PUBG Mobile, with some minor tweaks. The new game is set to bring exclusive in-game features such as outfits, and an esports ecosystem in India that will include tournaments and leagues.
We have reached out to Krafton for a statement regarding this matter. We will update the copy with the same once we hear back.
𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎_𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 