Citing "negative effects" on citizens, Jordan Jordan banned the hugely popular online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, PUBG, on July 6. A source in Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said that the game “has negative effects on its users, which led to its being officially blocked”, according to an AFP report. Ban on PUBG The information related to the ban came to light after several social media users reported that they were unable to play the game and whenever they attempted to play the game, a notice — “server did not respond. Please try again later" — appeared on the screen. PUBG is so popular in Jordan that institutions in the kingdom have issued warnings to employees not to play it, as per the AFP report. Psychologists in the country have often warned that the game encourages violence and contributes to bullying amongst the youth. PUBG's continuing troubles in India and elsewhere With a user base of almost 400 million people worldwide, PUBG has continually run into trouble with the Indian government. In January 2019, the Gujarat government had banned PUBG in all state schools, citing addiction and adverse effects on their education. Several districts of Gujarat had banned the game earlier this year. Rajkot was the first city in Gujarat to ban the game on March 8, 2019 for allegedly inciting violence in children, being addictive, and distracting students from studies. At least 7 people, most of whom were male and aged between 18-26 years, were arrested for violating the ban. Ahmedabad also…
