Sea – founded in Singapore by Chinese-born founders who became Singaporean citizens – has been focusing on building a gaming and e-commerce business globally with early backing from Tencent, the largest shareholder of the company. Sea did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ban on the game Free Fire - Illuminate.
India has banned 54 apps it says are of Chinese origin, including Sea’s marquee game Free Fire, citing security concerns, people with knowledge of the matter said, the latest instance of tensions between the two neighbours locked in a protracted border dispute.
Sea’s stock sank more than 9% in pre-market trading in New York. The apps banned by the South Asian nation’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology include those belonging to large China tech firms such as Tencent, Alibaba and NetEase, and are re-branded versions of apps already banned by India in 2020, the people said asking not to be identified citing rules on speaking to the media.
