It’s been widely reported how the Russian government is “afraid” of Pokemon Go. Some in the country felt it was a form of Satanism making its way through the technology, while others felt it was a CIA tool to spy on the nation. To combat it, there was even a very Russian version of the game created in Moscow to allow citizens a chance to capture famous figures in Russian history.
It might seem like Cold War silliness, but now the United States is getting in on the “Pokemon are spying on us” game. According to the Washington Times, the Pentagon has taken aim at the game and banned playing it within Defense Department facilities:
A memorandum sent July 19 warned all officials and defense contractors that playing Pokemon Go, the hugely popular Japanese video game, poses a potential a security risk to secure and sensitive facilities.
Pokemon Go uses the Global Positioning System satellite network for maps of areas around the handheld mobile devices that utilize the application.
Pentagon security officials are concerned the data obtained playing the game could provide pinpoint accuracy on the locations of rooms and other sensitive facilities where secrets are stored.
Now in the early release days of the game, a “gym” was located at the entrance of the Pentagon, but it has since been removed. It wouldn’t be the first game to get some play within the walls of defense, with World of Warcraft and Everquest once holding sway over the complex. It would be the first to cause a bit of a panic, though, and for good reason. As noted by the Times, the early release of Pokemon Go on Android reportedly gathered a massive amount of data from users. That has changed since then, but you can’t blame the folks at the Pentagon for being a little cautious.
(Via The Washington Times / Vocativ)