Krafton denies BGMI data breach allegations raised in Indian legal complaint

Seoul/New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) South Korean game publisher Krafton on Tuesday denied allegations raised in India over data breaches and unauthorised sale of user information, stating its internal investigation has found no evidence to support such claims.

The company's response came amid pending legal proceedings in Maharashtra, where a user of the company's mobile game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) filed a police complaint in September against Krafton India Pvt. Ltd. and several of its executives, reports Yonhap news agency.

According to reports, the user has accused the local subsidiary of violating a user agreement by allegedly disclosing and selling personal information of players on Telegram for around Rs 2,000 rupee (US$23) per user. The High Court of Bombay was scheduled to hold a hearing on the case later in the day.

In a statement sent to Yonhap News Agency, Krafton headquarters in South Korea said it has conducted an internal investigation into the matter and found the claims to be baseless.

"We have reviewed the case thoroughly and confirmed that the allegations of data leakage and monetisation are groundless," a company spokesperson said.

Krafton also clarified the issue had first been raised in 2023 by the same individual and was already addressed at that time.

"This matter was originally brought up in 2023, and we resolved it by demonstrating that the allegations were unfounded. The same individual filed a new complaint in 2024 with the same claims," the company added.

Krafton India Pvt. Ltd. has filed two writ petitions with the Bombay High Court in connection with the case.

A writ petition is a formal request made to a court in India to challenge the legality of a law enforcement or legal procedure.

Krafton has significantly expanded its footprint in India's gaming sector in recent years, investing over $170 million as of November 2024. This includes the recent acquisition of a controlling stake in Nautilus Mobile, the Pune-based studio behind the popular "Real Cricket" franchise, for $14 million.

To nurture local talent, Krafton also launched the India Gaming Incubator initiative in 2023, offering mentorship and grants of up to $150,000 to promising game developers.

—IANS

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