"Inputs were shared with us, and immediate action was taken without any delay": Senior government official from MEITY reportedly on BGMI ban

On July 28, BGMI was removed from the Google Play Store and App Store. Later that night, Google issued a statement mentioning that the company followed the instructions of the Indian government and delisted the app.

It was later revealed that the game faced a potential ban following the rules under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Finally, government officials have spoken about why they took the harsh step and ordered Google and Apple to remove the app.

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What did government officials say BGMI ban?

Based on a report by a news channel, a senior official from MEITY talked about how Battlegrounds Mobile India contains codes that can attack India's security and privacy.

He mentioned how several Indian agencies analyzed the title multiple times before reporting it to the government. Based on the report, the Indian government asked Google and Apple to delist the popular battle royale shooter from their virtual stores on July 28.

The official mentioned how the app contains various malicious codes and requires users to allow multiple critical permissions. According to him, these permissions could be misused for compromising stored user data for surveillance through cameras and microphones, malicious network activities, and location tracking.

He further mentioned that apps like BGMI are detrimental to the integrity and sovereignty of India and can be very harmful to the Indian security grid. He added:

"The inputs were shared with us, and immediate action was taken without any delay."

A senior official also spoke to the news channel on rebranding, saying that Chinese apps were rebranded in India but lacked servers in the country.

He added that many Chinese apps had been re-launched in India as "old wine in a new bottle." He pointed out that Battlegrounds Mobile India is a rebranded version of the already banned PUBG Mobile.

Krafton is set to present its case before the government, and a final verdict will determine the future of BGMI in India. Gamers and fans across the country will hope MEITY decides in favor of Krafton.

Meanwhile, Krafton has been working tirelessly to get things back on track and make the game available to Indians. In a recent statement, the CEO of Krafton India, Sean Hyunil Sohn, talked about the company's commitment to esports and gaming in India.

He mentioned that Krafton tries to protect the privacy and security of user data. He added that the South Korean company complies with Indian laws and regulations and will continue to protect them.

It remains to be seen whether BGMI will make a comeback to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.