The Gov. of New York says sex offenders are not allowed to play Pokémon Go.
Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a directive Monday that bans sex offenders from playing Pokémon Go and any other game similar to the Augment Reality mobile game.
The order also requires the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to prevent 3,000 sex offenders from “downloading, accessing, or otherwise engaging in any Internet-enabled gaming activities, including Pokémon Go,” as written in a press release.
In addition, Cuomo sent a letter to the CEO of Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, that asked for help in banning sex offenders from using the game. In addition, Niantic will receive a list of identified sex offenders, information that is also shared with tech giants like Facebook, Apple and Microsoft.
This news comes after a New York report by state Senators Jeffrey D. Klein and Diane Savino, which found Pokéstops and gyms were found near the homes of registered sex offenders. According to the report, of 100 sex offenders’ addresses, 73 of them lived within a half-block of a Pokémon Go- Pokéstop or Pokégym.
We directed @NYSDOCCS to restrict sex offenders on parole from playing Pokémon GO and similar games: https://t.co/WpL19oEswq
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 1, 2016
We also issued a letter to Niantic, Inc. requesting cooperation in barring sex offenders from playing Pokémon GO: https://t.co/WpL19oEswq
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 1, 2016
According to the report, sex offenders could purchase lures, which can be used to attract Pokémon and then players to one area.
Senator Jeffrey D. Klein issued the following statement. “Pokémon GO provided sex offenders with a virtual road map to our children. We know that pedophiles always seek new ways to lure victims and this new technology that entertains our kids, could also bring them close to dangerous individuals instead of Pokémon. In fact, my Pokémon GO investigation uncovered a disturbing correlation between high level sex offenders’ residences and in-game objectives. While this directive is a good first step, there’s still more work to be done legislatively to protect children who use this technology and I will continue to monitor this situation. I applaud Governor Cuomo for taking action on my investigation within 48 hours to protect New York’s children.”
“Protecting New York’s children is priority number one and, as technology evolves, we must ensure these advances don’t become new avenues for dangerous predators to prey on new victims,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Via Mashable
Related:
- Olympic Athletes are Pissed They Can’t Play Pokémon Go
- Parents Are Naming Their Kids After Pokémon Go Characters
- Fewer People are Now Playing Pokémon Go, Is the Trend Over?
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