chimera201
Wise Old Owl
PUBG Mobile banned in several Indian cities • Eurogamer.net
As reported by several Indian news outlets, the ban is apparently being enforced under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, which means those who disobey the order and are found to cause "obstruction, annoyance or injury" could (in theory) face a prison term of up to a month, along with a small fine. The International Business Times suggests citizens will likely only be detained if they refuse to cooperate - but still, a little scary.
Some sites are also reporting the total number of cities banning PUBG Mobile has risen to four, with districts such as Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath now involved. The Times of India states any citizen can report someone for playing the game, although according to the notification, police and educational institutions are exempt. Research purposes, huh.
Calls for PUBG Mobile bans in India have been ramping up for some time. The state of Gujarat, where the cities are currently enforcing bans, previously banned PUBG Mobile in primary schools (via IBT). Last month a Goa minister called for restrictions and described the game as a "demon in every house". An 11-year old who wrote to government ministers and the Bombay High Court seeking for the game to be banned received significant attention on Indian social media. And, indeed, even a cursory glance at the media coverage reveals game addiction is considered a huge problem in the country. Whether this concern is well-founded is another matter.