PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire are set to be banned for three months in Bangladesh to “save children and adolescents from moral and social degradation”.
As reported by the Daily Star, the Bangladesh High Court has ordered the government to stop all “destructive” online games and apps, including the likes of TikTok, Likee, Bigo Live and the aforementioned PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire.
Whether action will action be taken by the government is yet to be seen. Authorities have been given 10 days to explain whether they can make this happen or not.
The order was generated after two Supreme Court lawyers – Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallob and Mohammed Kawsar – submitted a petition on June 24th alleging that games and apps are harmful to youth in the country. No data was shared surrounding the petition and whether it contained any research backing up its claims.
History repeating
Alongside this, the two requested that the High Court create a committee with “technologists, educationists and lawyers” which would then speak with the Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) about removing games and apps that they see as harmful.
PUBG Mobile has already been banned in India over similar concerns. At the time it was suggested that the reason was down to being part of 118 apps linked to China and therefore was taken offline in the country.
This news follows on from PUBG Mobile generating the highest amount of consumer spending for July 2021, ending Honor of Kings’ four-month reign at the top. Garena, meanwhile, surpassed over one billion downloads on the Google Play store in July.
