Battlegrounds Mobile India: Does It Send Data to China?

Updated 9 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Yes, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has been reported to transmit some user and device data to servers in China, particularly during testing in 2021. That does not by itself prove that every player’s personal information is routinely stored or accessed in China today; the public evidence and the game’s data practices have changed, and the distinction matters.

What the 2021 reports found

BGMI is the Indian version of PUBG Mobile, developed and published by South Korea-based Krafton. In June 2021, before BGMI’s full launch, Indian media reported that security researchers examining a test build had observed connections to servers associated with Tencent in China, as well as other services. The reports said that some data, including device-related information, was being transmitted.

The reporting prompted questions because Tencent, a Chinese technology company, had previously been associated with the global PUBG Mobile game. Krafton said it was aware of the concerns and that data handling would comply with applicable Indian laws and regulations. It also said that BGMI’s data was stored on servers in India and Singapore, while acknowledging that certain data could be shared with service providers to operate the game.

These statements and reports do not establish a complete, independently verified account of every connection or data flow. A network connection to a server associated with a company is evidence of a connection; it does not, on its own, reveal precisely what data was sent, why it was sent, or who could access it.

Why server location and data access are different

“Sending data to a Chinese server” can mean several things: a game may make a brief connection to a server located in China, use a third-party service whose infrastructure is there, or transfer information to an organization with a Chinese connection. Those are related concerns, but they are not interchangeable.

Server location: The physical or cloud location where a system processes or stores information.
Company ownership: The organization that provides or operates a service. Its headquarters do not necessarily identify where its servers are located.
Data access: Which entities can view or process data, under what arrangements and permissions. A server’s location alone cannot establish this.
Data retention: How long information is kept and whether it is deleted or anonymized. A connection report does not answer that question.

For example, an app might contact a content-delivery network to load an image quickly. That connection does not automatically mean the user’s full account record is being stored at that network. Conversely, a company can process data in one country while its personnel or contracted providers operate elsewhere. To assess a privacy concern, it takes more than identifying an IP address.

What BGMI’s privacy information can tell you

BGMI’s privacy policy and related in-game notices are the best places to check what information the publisher says it collects, why it uses it, and whether it shares it with service providers. Policies can change, so check the version available in the app or on the publisher’s official site rather than relying solely on an old article or screenshot.

Like many online games, BGMI may need account details, gameplay and device information to provide features, prevent abuse, troubleshoot performance, and support purchases or customer service. The exact categories, purposes, retention periods, and locations should be read from the current policy. Avoid treating “data” as one uniform thing: a device identifier, a chat message, and a payment record have different privacy implications.

App-store disclosures and phone privacy dashboards can offer additional clues about permissions or recent network activity. They are not complete audits of server-side handling, however. A permissions screen, for instance, shows access granted to the app; it does not reveal all information the app can generate from ordinary gameplay or network traffic.

What changed after the initial controversy

The 2021 findings concerned a test version and were reported before BGMI’s full public release. Krafton responded by saying it would address concerns and that the game’s data practices were intended to follow Indian requirements. Because the underlying software, service providers, and policies can be updated, a finding about a particular build at a particular time should not be presented as proof of the game’s current behavior.

BGMI was temporarily unavailable in India in 2022 after the government directed app stores to block it. It returned to app stores in 2023 after the government allowed a trial relaunch subject to conditions and monitoring. That history is relevant context, but the return should not be misrepresented as a public technical certification that no data ever reaches a server in China. Nor does the earlier report alone prove that a current version continues to send data there.

How to reduce the information you share

If you choose to play, you can limit unnecessary exposure without assuming that a particular server connection proves wrongdoing. These steps improve basic account and device privacy, though they cannot control the game’s internal data processing:

Review the current BGMI privacy policy and the permissions listed in your phone’s settings.
Deny permissions the game does not need for a feature you use. Recheck after updates, since prompts and settings may change.
Use a unique password for any linked account, enable available account protections, and do not share login codes.
Avoid entering sensitive personal details in your profile, public chat, usernames, or screenshots.
Install updates from the official app store and avoid unofficial modified versions, which can introduce additional security and privacy risks.
Use the game’s account and privacy controls, or stop using the service if its stated practices do not meet your comfort level.

Blocking individual network addresses is usually not a practical privacy fix: addresses can change, shared services may support multiple functions, and blocking them may break login or gameplay. A VPN also does not prevent an app from sending data to its own services; it mainly changes the network route visible to your internet provider and the apparent origin of your connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is BGMI owned by a Chinese company?
BGMI is developed and published by Krafton, a South Korean company. Tencent has been connected to the broader PUBG history and was mentioned in reports about network activity from a 2021 BGMI test build, but that does not make Krafton a Chinese company.

Does the 2021 report prove BGMI sends data to China now?
No. It described observed connections from a test build at that time. Establishing what a current release sends would require current, technically detailed evidence and careful interpretation.

Does data stored in India mean no one abroad can access it?
Not necessarily. Storage location and access are separate issues. The current privacy policy and applicable service arrangements are needed to understand who may process information and where.

Can I tell from my phone whether BGMI connects to China?
Some network-monitoring tools can show destination addresses, but an address alone may not identify the exact data, purpose, operator, or physical location. Such results are clues, not a complete privacy audit.

Is BGMI safe to install?
Use the official app-store listing, review the current permissions and privacy policy, and keep your device updated. No short answer can guarantee that an online game has no privacy or security risks.

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