‘Pokémon Go’ raises global security, religious concerns

“Pokémon Go,” the wildly popular augmented-reality smartphone game, expanded officially into 26 more countries this week, even as some security and religious authorities around the globe expressed alarm:

Kuwait banned the app’s use at government sites, and officials warned it could put users’ personal data at risk or be used by criminals to lure victims to isolated places.

The game is notable for causing people to range out into the world, walking into places where they might not normally have a reason to be, pointing their smartphone cameras at buildings and historical sites.

“Pokémon Go is the latest tool used by spy agencies in the Intel war, a cunning despicable app that tries to infiltrate our communities in the most innocent way under the pretext of entertainment,” said Hamdi Bakheet, a member of Egypt’s defense and national security committee in parliament, according to a report on Al Jazeera.



Since the game was released on July 6, it has gained millions of users around the world, including some who had already made headlines with questionable decisions to play at Auschwitz, Arlington cemetery and the Sept. 11 memorial in New York City.

President Reuven Rivlin of Israel posted a photo on Facebook of a Pokémon in his office with the caption “Somebody call security personnel.”