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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:19AM   Printer-friendly
from the camera+GPS=knowing-most-everything dept.

This data-mining game is what they call totalitarianism is how Oliver Stone described Pokémon Go at Comic Con. Earlier in the month Al Franken also expressed some concern asking the creator of the game about privacy, data sharing, and account access.

More from Stone:

They're data-mining every person in this room for information as to what you're buying, what you like, and above all, your behaviour. Pokémon Go kicks into that. But this is everywhere. It's what some people call surveillance capitalism. It's the newest stage. It's not for profit in the beginning, but it becomes for profit in the end.

It manipulates your behaviour. It has happened already quite a bit on the Internet, but you'll see it everywhere—you'll see a new form of, frankly, a robot society, where they will know how you want to behave and they will make the mockup that matches how you behave and feed you. It's what they call totalitarianism.

Personally I gave up my smart phone more than two years ago because I did not want a spy machine in my pocket; I've never played Pokémon Go but it seemed like a great way for the game creators to get people to run around and point the players camera at what ever they want, obtain other location based data, or focus players into businesses that pay for the privilege. Perhaps I just need to adjust my tinfoil hat but what do the 'lentils think? Is Stone just trying to plug his new movie or is this a legitimate concern?


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Unixnut on Saturday July 23 2016, @12:21PM

    by Unixnut (5779) on Saturday July 23 2016, @12:21PM (#379024)

    >> I bought the phone to play a video game. The game has no way to know anything but my movement data. Big whoop.

    Ignoring what it knows about you (which is a lot move than just your movement data) due to the fact it is your data and you have a choice how much you share and with whom, I think the complaint is that you are also filming and collecting data on your surroundings, which is where the disagreement comes in. People have been arrested trying to chase Pokemon into military installations, or restricted areas. Not to mention all those wondering into peoples private lands.

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  • (Score: 2) by Knowledge Troll on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:48PM

    by Knowledge Troll (5948) on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:48PM (#379042) Homepage Journal

    People have been arrested trying to chase Pokemon into military installations, or restricted areas. Not to mention all those wondering into peoples private lands.

    Jesus I didn't know that was going on. Is there a legitimate reason to put the objectives of the game on private land? Non-commercial real estate could be filtered out by using public records such as surveying and land deeds. They are programmers, they can do it. If it makes money they can afford it.

    I can understand the game creator spraying the targets (Pokes? what ever the fuck those things are called) out randomly on maps because no one thought this through. I hope they've managed to fix this.

    Yes people are stupid for marching into a military base or going onto people's land. But if you give a monkey a gun who is at fault? It ain't the fuckin monkey.

    • (Score: 2) by Zz9zZ on Saturday July 23 2016, @07:11PM

      by Zz9zZ (1348) on Saturday July 23 2016, @07:11PM (#379127)

      Sure it is possible to restrict the locations, but it isn't simple by any means. The data is scattered across all sorts of databases that aren't even available to the public, and some people have access to a space, such as a private office. I think you are underestimating the difficulty of making sure a location is "safe" and a nice big disclaimer / warning is probably the better route to take. "Do not enter private property, exercise caution and safety at all times when hunting a pokemon". Make it a pop up at least once a day.

      --
      ~Tilting at windmills~
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @07:32PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @07:32PM (#379994)

    I've heard that Groom Lake, Nevada, is an excellent ground for catching Pokemon. There's a nearby airport that is a Pokestop, too!