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Pokemon Go could be used to detect secret info, minister warns
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has warned players of Pokemon Go that their games may be used to detect secretive information by foreign countries through smartphone cameras.
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Players of Pokemon Go Indonesia gather to play the wildly popular mobile app at Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Jakarta on Sunday. Pokemon Go players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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efense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has warned players of Pokeman Go that their games may be used to detect the secretive information by foreign countries through smartphone cameras.
All media, including augmented reality game Pokemon, are susceptible to being used as surveillance tools since they can detect intelligence information without the awareness of the gamers, the minister said on Monday.
"We have to be very careful. [Secretive information] can be leaked through any form of media and channel, including this Pokemon Go game," Ryamizard said on Monday.
With the advance of technology, Ryamizard said there were now tools that could overhear people's conversations from a distance of 50 meters, adding that smartphone-based games might have similar abilities.
Last week, a statement from the Military Intelligence Division (BAIS) Cyber Taskforce circulated among the media, saying that people should not pay Pokemon Go in strategic locations, especially within military bases, to avoid intelligence information being leaked.
When playing the game, the players are unconsciously collecting information at locations through photos and videos captured on their smartphones, and the information could be employed by foreign intelligence bodies, the statement said.
