Pokémon Go Might be a Government Surveillance Conspiracy

Pokemon Go Singapore

In recent weeks, Pokémon Go is undeniably the game trending all over the internet, and it has become one of the biggest internet sensation all over the world today. The game is already one of the largest grossing apps on both iOS and Android, and the number is on the rise.

Ironically, the number of addicts now playing Pokémon Go in the countries of release are alarming. There are now populated neighbourhoods with players fully tucked on their smartphones, and moving about, irresponsibly ignoring the environment around and possible accidents or danger.

Kids and adults alike, irrespective of size, race, religion, and profession, are now playing Pokemon Go like zombie characters in a horror movie. Pokemania or Pokémon Go frenzy, as most people call, involves sharing in the same obsession as other players, smashing their cars, bumping into others,  walking half blindfolded the streets with their eyes fixated on their mobile phones. These players are exposing themselves to the dangers, but they do not care.

What is ‘Pokemon Go’?

Pokémon Go is a game that uses augmented reality and mobile GPS on smartphones to bring excitement to its players. The game was developed by Niantic, Inc in partnership with Nintendo for the iOS and Android platforms. Pokemon Go became an instant global gaming trend few weeks after its release and caused Nintendo’s stocks to skyrocket in the same period.

Unfortunately, the trend is turning millions to smartphone GPS freaks. Pokémon Go requires its individual players and users’ devices to be GPS enabled with access to the phone cameras to play. The game app further requires the access to emails and other sensitive data on the phone to be installed. This is an invasion of privacy from a cyber security angle, but millions of Pokemon Go fans either don’t care or choose to differ. They opt to care less about the danger attached to it while many are just ignorant of this fact.

Some cyber security experts have pronounced the game as dangerous, warning of the potential security risk attached to the fun game that is rocking the world. In China, the government has raised caution about the game and the places people should play the game. The government sees it all as a surveillance conspiracy.

Many fans of Pokémon Go would beg to disagree, but with evidence of Government funding (via the CIA), these facts are worth giving a thought. Is it a baseless conspiracy from the Asian nations? Of course, Japan is not complaining because of the rise in stocks of Nintendo as much as China is against it, Indonesia and even Singapore. What are these nations seeing that Pokemon Go players and fans are not seeing? Here are more facts.

Pokemon Go Singapore
Pokemon Go Singapore

About Niantic, Inc and the CIA connection

The innovative company behind Pokémon Go Niantic, Inc was founded by John Hanke. He is a man who has links with both the CIA and the State Department. Hanke was previously recorded to have worked for the US State Department in Myanmar. In 2001, he founded Keyhole, Inc, a firm which specializes in geospatial data visualization applications. In 2004, Google acquired this company and many applications keyhole developed. This acquisition led to the development of Google Earth and Maps.

Hanke’s Keyhole, Inc received a huge chunk of investment funds from the CIA’s venture capital firm, In-Q-Tel, with the majority of the funds coming from the National Geospatial Agency (NGA) – an agency that is partly under the control of the US Department of Defence.

Meanwhile, the NGA was formerly the National Imaging and Mapping Agency (NIMA), before the change in 2003. The NGA’s primary objective is the mapping of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) where GEOINT is an intelligence discipline mainly about human activities on earth. The GEOINT can be used to exploit and analyze collected Imagery and Geospatial data, to describe and assess, and visually depict existing physical features and geographical references on maps and activities around them.

So, Pokémon Go is acclaimed to be a mastermind by Niantic to ultimately front for Geospatial-Intelligence to gather valuable data. With the millions of people playing the game, Government can quickly put surveillance on citizens across countries. If the Government needs pictures for a particular location updated for information, they might won’t need to send in agents. They will use a rare Pokémon bait, and some Pokemon player will Go there, and the Pokémon app will take some photos.

Pokemon Go Singapore
Pokemon Go Singapore

How Pokémon Go poses security threats

For every new user of the game, before installing the Pokémon Go app, they granted the app permission to have access to their camera and locations (which is necessary for augmented reality game). They would forfeit their privacy by giving the app access to all their personal information including map navigation, emails, web searches, documents, files, and pictures. They also have to sign in with a Gmail account, which is recommended by the game (and most people just don’t read privacy policies when installing apps).

Let us clarify this – Pokemon Go and Niantic Inc will have access to read all your email and can send emails from the account as ‘you,’ access all your documents on Google drive (or delete them). They would be able to search users map navigation and search histories, access private photos and so much more stated in the user’s policy.

Moreover, giving out one’s personal information makes one a pawn for the government. The Pokemon Go game has every quality of a spying tool: giving away access to your device GPS (tracking), camera (photographs) and your personal information (identity). Pokémon Go can be said to be one of the cheapest and easiest Government spying tool ever invented.

How Pokémon Go poses security threats

For every new user of the game, before installing the Pokémon Go app, they granted the app permission to have access to their camera and locations (which is necessary for augmented reality game). They would forfeit their privacy by giving the app access to all their personal information including map navigation, emails, web searches, documents, files, and pictures. They also have to sign in with a Gmail account, which is recommended by the game (and most people just don’t read privacy policies when installing apps).

Let us clarify this – Pokemon Go and Niantic Inc will have access to read all your email and can send emails from the account as ‘you,’ access all your documents on Google drive (or delete them). They would be able to search users map navigation and search histories, access private photos and so much more stated in the user’s policy.

Moreover, giving out one’s personal information makes one a pawn for the government. The Pokemon Go game has every quality of a spying tool: giving away access to your device GPS (tracking), camera (photographs) and your personal information (identity). Pokémon Go can be said to be one of the cheapest and easiest Government spying tool ever invented.

Why Singapore should manage Pokemon Go

Having known how it started and why ‘Pokemon Go’ may pose a cybersecurity threat, the Government should not stop on their oars to review the game once it is launched in Singapore. Reports of the game-fuelled crimes, mishaps, and accidents in Japan have prompted the Japanese government to launch a public awareness campaign.

Pokemon Go has sparked a frenzy among Indonesians although the app is not officially available in Indonesia. Pokemon players indulge in the joys of chasing Pokemon monsters, despite the restriction of the country’s authorities. The Indonesian Military has banned its members from the augmented-reality game while on duty around restricted military facilities due to security concerns.

These are shots from other Asian nations over Pokemon Go. The Government of Singapore has to look at the options associated with the release of this game and decide on what policy best suit its users in the country.

The future of augmented reality games

It can be said that it is the beginning of more games like this. Pokemon Go will usher in many augmented reality games to follow up in the next few years.

Pokemon Go Singapore