Indians playing Korean version of PUBG Mobile could be penalized

Indian gamers have been taking advantage of a VPN service and live streaming or uploading videos of their PUBG Mobile KR gaming experiences

Despite the government’s ban on PUBG Mobile, it has been observed that gamers are still downloading and playing the game via foreign versions particularly the PUBG Mobile KA (Korean) version. Indian YouTubers are apparently making use of a VPN service and livestreaming or uploading videos of their PUBG Mobile KR gameplays and they could now be penalized.

Bypassing official stipulations

A blogger recently sent letters to such gamers warning them that they could face consequences for breaking the law. In a reply to this, many from the Indian gaming community wanted an official word from the government regarding the same and one which clearly mentions that playing the Korean version of PUBG Mobile in India is banned.

However, many of these players might not get caught, as a VPN service masks the IP and masks the incoming data packets of the user through an encryption layer. However, many streamers tournament organizers and esports organizations can face penalties as they have been putting out content for the banned game, which might not go down well with the authorities.

A recent report mentioned that what the gamers do not seem to realize is that PUBG Mobile KR has cross-play functionality, which means that it accesses the PUBG Mobile Global server, which is blocked by the government. And using a VPN service to bypass the ban and access any such content is against the law.

Little dent in popularity despite ban

Despite all restrictions imposed in the recent past and the policy makers unwilling to budge from their stance, PUBG Mobile continues to be one of the most popular games in India and PUBG Mobile global versions saw huge downloads in the country.

Replying to an enquiry regarding the scope and ambit of the ban, MeitY reiterated that in normal course, it does not ban any app. However, certain identified apps were blocked under the provisions of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its guidelines. Section 69A of the Act provides for a penalty to intermediaries for non-compliance of the blocking order. However, no penalty is prescribed for individual users of such apps.