According to French politicians, Pokémon GO creates an increased security risk at schools.
Pokémon GO stands for fun and joy. The game can be dangerous when, for example, criminals exploit the features in the game to lure victims. In America, for these reasons, sexual offenders have been banned from playing Pokémon GO. The French Minister of Education Najat Vallaud-Belkacem recently stated that Pokémon GO leads to an increased security risk when people enter schools in search of Pokémon.
Meeting with Niantic planned
The Minister of Education told the Seattletimes that she plans to meet with the “Pokémon GO” developers Niantic to discuss the issues. Rare or (in the future) even legendary Pokémon may be the reason for people who are not students and have no connection to the school to enter. Directors of individual schools can already request the removal of PokéStops or gyms from Niantic.
Some public places have already had their PokéStops or gyms removed; this includes the Auschwitz memorial and a library in Utah. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem is particularly concerned about removing the spawns of rare Pokémon, as these attract more people than the “usual” Pokémon. The Seattletimes also points out in the article that France is currently still in a state of emergency.
In addition to the increased security risk, Pokémon GO is likely also responsible for many children being distracted in class in France. The distraction is likely much greater when a Venusaur appears in the biology rooms than when a Pidgey flies through the halls. Although there are now good uses for the millions of Pidgeys.
