Back in July, when the Pokémon Go fad first hit and users had serious questions about the types of personal data that the location-based game was gobbling, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota decided to step in and add some gravitas to the proceedings. Franken is concerned about privacy and technology and how they intersect in new products like the Oculus Rift or Apple Music. His office sent game-maker Niantic a letter back in mid-July. The company responded, and their response, predictably, is that users shouldn’t have any privacy concerns. [More]
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Has Pokémon Go Run Its Course?
By 8.23.16
And just like that, the uber-popular Pokémon Go game has begun to fizzle out. Or at least, that’s the takeaway from a new report that found usage of the app has dropped by tens of millions of users. [More]
Couple’s Lawsuit Claims Pokémon Go Has Made Their Neighborhood Unsafe
By 8.11.16
Pokémon Go has changed not only the way the game’s players see the world — a virtual landscape filled with collectible monsters — but it’s also changed the way other people experience it, as well. Like the couple suing Niantic and Nintendo, claiming that their formerly quiet neighborhood has been made unsafe with all the rampaging hordes of Pokémon Go players. [More]
New York Will Bar Sex Offenders On Parole From Playing Pokémon Go
By 8.1.16
In an effort to keep sex offenders on parole from taking advantage of games like Pokémon Go to gain access to children, New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that population won’t be allowed to play the mobile game. [More]
Pokémon Go Creators Removing Some Locations In Effort To Be “Respectful” Of Reality
By 7.29.16
Since Pokémon Go launched earlier this month, the mobile game has sent out into the world in droves, seeking Pokemon, as well as “Pokéstops,” where they can stock up on Pokéballs. But those stops and gyms are all real life locations — and some of the people who live or work there aren’t exactly pleased with the new crowds. [More]
Pokémon Go Shouldn’t Be Used To Sell Fast Food To Kids, Say Advocates
By 7.25.16
Last week, Niantic, the company behind the wildly popular Pokémon Go app, unveiled its first sponsored partnership with McDonald’s in Japan, turning the country’s fast food restaurants into PokéStops where players can purchase items for their characters. While there currently aren’t any sponsored stops stateside, one group is trying to get ahead of the Poké-ball, urging the game maker not to deliver personalized ads to kids based on PokéStops and gyms at retail locations. [More]
Nintendo Is Now Worth More Than Sony And Has Pokémon Go To Thank
By 7.20.16
It’s been quite a good month for Nintendo, all because of this game you may have heard of, Pokémon Go. The company’s worth has more than doubled since the mobile game launched on July 6, sending its worth climbing past that of its fellow Japanese company, Sony, in short order. [More]
Reminder: Selling Or Buying A Pokémon Go Account Counts As Cheating
By 7.18.16
Although it might be tempting to make a few bucks off the stable of rare or valuable Pokémon you’ve collected so far in Pokémon Go by selling your account, according to game maker Niantic’s player guidelines, that’s cheating. [More]
Pokémon Go Launches In 26 Countries, Servers Promptly Start Crashing
By 7.18.16
Until this past weekend, Pokémon Go was only available in a few countries, including the U.S. So when Niantic and Nintendo finally launched the mega popular mobile game in 26 more countries on Saturday, players were probably super excited… and then servers started crashing, causing more headaches than monster-catching glee. [More]
Sen. Al Franken Has A Few Questions About Pokemon Go’s Access To Personal Data
By 7.12.16
As people wander around with their smartphones out (but don’t drive) playing Pokemon Go, some people have concerns about the data that the game collects. After all, it’s installed on our smartphones, which are full of very personal information, and gathers information about real-world locations that we visit. That combination of information could be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Senator Al Franken of Minnesota is here to make sure users of new technology stay safe, just as he did when the Oculus Rift was released. [More]
While You Collect Pokémon, Pokémon Go Collects Your Data
By 7.12.16
Even if you aren’t playing Pokemon Go, you know people — probably a lot of people — who are. And that means you, and your friends, should keep an eye on the permissions the popular app wants to access on your phone. [More]
