Pokemon Go is already turning out to be the most important game to come by in years. Not only is it already being played by millions around the globe just a few days after release, it is also forcing those millions to walk around in order to progress in the game. However, the game comes as a free download and no ads at all, which means there must be a catch somewhere.
Also Read: This is how you can play Pokemon Go anywhere in the world
The trade-off comes in the form of reduced privacy as Pokemon Go is collection a lot of data from your phone. Here’s everything that the game is collecting from your phone,
Note: If you are using an iOS device, there is a chance Niantic (the developers of this game) may have access to your entire Google account. A bug in the game gives Niantic read and write access to your email, Google Drive docs, access any private photos in Google Photos, and more. You can check what kind of access Niantic has to your Google account here and revoke it.
- Location: It knows where you go, when you go, how you got there and how long you stayed there. Using the phone’s GPS is essential to playing Pokemon Go, so there’s no workaround for this. If you want to play Pokemon Go, you’ll have to surrender your complete location data to the game’s developers.
- Device Info: Your device’s IP address, user settings, and the operating system.
- Account Info: Your email address or the email address associated with your Google / Facebook account.
- Last Web Page: The web page you were using before logging into Pokémon
Here’s Pokemon Go’s complete privacy policy if you want to take a look at it.
Also Read: Here is a list of Pokestops and Gyms for Pokemon Go in Pakistan
Also note that Niantic retains the right to legally share this information with other parties, including The Pokémon Company that co-developed the game, “third-party service providers,” and “third parties” to conduct “research and analysis, demographic profiling, and other similar purposes.” Moreover, it may even share any information it collects with law enforcement in response to a legal claim, to protect its own interests, or stop “illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity.”
Image Source— Polygon
