INDIA: The Indian government has issued a new order prohibiting the use of up to 54 Chinese apps. While many of them may not have a significant impact on users, the list includes one popular game, Garena Free Fire, about which many people may be unhappy. After the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile in India in 2020, Free Fire exploded in terms of popularity.
Garena Free Fire is a combat shooter game developed in Singapore for low-end devices. The concept is similar to that of the PUBG video game.
Players land on a deserted island and compete for weapons and supplies, as well as eliminating any survivors who stand in their way. Users must survive until the end of the game in order to win.
Krafton recently sued Garena Free Fire. The game has been accused of ripping off elements from PUBG Mobile. The company also sued Google and Apple for allowing the game to be available in their respective app stores.
In the lawsuit, Krafton explicitly states that various aspects of the game, including the structure and an airdrop feature, were copied.
“Free Fire and Free Fire Max extensively copy numerous aspects of Battlegrounds, both individually and in combination, including Battlegrounds’ copyrighted unique game-opening ‘airdrop’ feature, game structure and play, the combination and selection of weapons, armour, and unique objects, locations, and the overall choice of colour schemes, materials, and textures,” according to the lawsuit.
Why is the Indian government banning the Free Fire game?
The Indian government has so far prohibited around 273 Chinese apps from being used in India because they pose a privacy and security risk to users.
Despite the fact that Garena Free Fire was developed by a Singapore-based company, this app is still classified as a “security threat”.
According to the ministry of electronics and information technology, the ban is necessary because these apps “pose a threat to the country’s security” and can allegedly “obtain various critical permissions” as well as “collect sensitive user data.”
The new apps on the list are said to have collected real-time user data that is being misused and sent to servers in a hostile country.
“There are also serious concerns because some of these apps can conduct espionage and surveillance activities via camera/mic, access fine location (GPS), and engage in malicious network activity similar to previously blocked apps.”
“These apps allegedly engaged in activities that were detrimental to the country’s sovereignty and integrity, as well as posing a serious threat to the state’s security and defence,” the ministry added.
Can players still play after the ban?
The Lite version of the Free Fire has been banned by the government. This game comes in two varieties. Users who are interested in playing the game can do so by downloading the Garena Free Fire Max, the second version, which was released in September 2021. Millions of people have downloaded it from app stores.
It is an improved and upgraded version of Free Fire, with improved graphics, sound quality, animations such as the zone effect, and weapon functions, among other things.
Also Read: Gaming Guide For Marvel Fans: The Top 5 Games That Every Marvel Fan Should Play
