What is Pokémon Go?

If you’ve been on the internet lately, you may have noticed that a game called Pokémon Go is suddenly taking the world by storm. It may have you wondering, especially if you were born before 1984, just what on earth is going on. You’ve likely noticed people intensely roaming the halls with their phones in hand, kids actually outside even though they are still glued to a screen or someone confusing a “Pokémon Gym” for the latest fitness craze! The truth is, we can now feed our screen addictions while getting outdoors and meeting new people all thanks to Pikachu!

Although the game is derived from a 1990’s Japanese videogame, the tech is innovative. Unlike previous Pokémon games, it’s not for Nintendo’s handheld consoles; it’s a free download for Android and iOS devices. Pokémon Go utilizes augmented reality technology while tracking your geo-location with information from Google Maps. The result is an addictive virtual reality full of little monsters and popular real-life landmarks displayed as Pokémon specific buildings. To play, users actually navigate the real-world on a quest to capture “wild Pokémon , while stopping at landmarks listed as “Pokémon gyms” and “PokeStops” to train their character and fill-up on “Poke Balls” to capture more Wild Pokémon, meaning players have to traverse the real world to catch ’em all.

With over 7 million downloads within the United States in just the first week, Pokémon Go is arguably the most successful game release in recent history. While the initial intent of the game is fun, since its release, many have encountered both virtual and real-life dangers with the app.

Full Access to your Google account

In order to play the game, a user must first sign-up to play the game. There are two ways in which a user can sign-up; the first option is to sign in using your Google account credentials, the second is to register as a user on pokemon.com. However, given the popularity of the game, the Pokémon website was not accepting new accounts for the first few days. Thus, users were only left with one option, Google.

Tuesday, CSOOnline reported that users who signed in with their Google account may have inadvertently given Niantic (Pokémon Go creators) “Full Account Access” to their Google accounts. This means that not only can the app read your data, inbox, calendar events, and search history, it can also modify it. For example, emails can be sent on your behalf, documents in Drive can be deleted/added, and photos can be shared or removed in addition to a host of other permissions things that have yet to be uncovered.

If you did sign up with your Google account, don’t worry, you can revoke the access.

Here is how revoke Pokémon Go access to your Google account:

1. Log in to your Google account and open up the "Apps connected to your account" page.
2. Scroll down to "Pokémon Go," then hit "Remove Access."
3. Confirm by hitting "OK."

Malware and Ransomware

While full access to your Google account may be frightening enough, hackers have started targeting Android users with a fake Pokémon Go app. Fortune first reported the malware on Sunday, siting  that the security firm Proofpoint had initially discovered the malicious app on some third-party application sites.

Personal Security

Aside from virtual threats such as privacy of your Google account and malware attacks, there are also real-life threats to Pokémon Go players. Encountering “Wild Pokémon  can happen at any time. For example the Tennessee Highway Safety Office issued a reminder to its citizens about not playing the game while driving. There have also been reports of players being robbed, people stopping in crosswalks to catch one, and numerous injuries suffered from not paying attention while walking.

Minnesota State Capitol Complex

With the Minnesota State Capitol being a hot spot for PokeStops, Gyms, and Wild Pokémon  the iconic capitol complex is quickly becoming a favorite of avid players. While the state encourages citizens to get out and visit the capitol, the Minnesota State Patrol has been busy working to keep both players and employees safe while playing the game.

While we encourage the idea of getting outside and visiting local land marks, we must encourage all players to use caution while playing the game. This includes not playing while driving and being aware of your surroundings.

Go catch’em all!!