India bans 'PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,' 117 other apps in border dispute with China
The game has 33 million players in India
India has banned the popular Chinese mobile game "PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds" and 117 other apps following the latest flare-up between the countries in a disputed border region.
In a statement, India’s government said the game – which has 33 million active users there -- and the other banned mobile applications were engaged in activities that were "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”
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On Monday, India said its soldiers thwarted “provocative” movements by China’s military near a disputed border in the Ladakh region -- a pristine landscape high in the Karakoram mountains that boasts the world’s highest landing strip, a glacier that feeds one of the largest irrigation systems in the world, and is a critical link in China’s massive “Belt and Road” infrastructure project.
Indian children play online game "PUBG" on their mobile phones sitting on stairs outside their house in Hyderabad, India. (AP)
In turn, China’s defense ministry accused Indian troops of crossing established lines of control and creating provocations on Monday.
Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks on ending the crisis have been unsuccessful.
But it’s not the first time India has targeted China by banning its apps.
In late June, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese-owned applications, including TikTok, citing similar privacy and security concerns. The move was seen as retaliation during a tense border standoff between the two countries that led to 20 Indian army personnel being killed on June 15.
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A month later, India banned 47 more Chinese mobile applications that cloned the previously restricted apps.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.