thehill.com/policy/technology/355189-russian-linked-campaign-used-pokemon-go-to-meddle-in-election
Does anyone know of any other examples as to how Pokémon may be linked to national security?
I love how they’ll go as far as Pokémon GO to try to blame this on Russia. The lack of self-awareness is just incredible. I didn’t need any advertisements to form an opinion. I know what’s right.
And to your question, no. I hardly consider this a national security issue anyway xd.
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I don’t think it has anything to do with passing around blame, it’s more of ways that a person/government/business can encourage the participation of people without the user realizing or knowing the original intent. If you read the first article, it mentions very clearly that Pokémon and Niantic had nothing to do with it. It’s more of how a group can use something popular to attempt to change the user’s perception of an issue. Way before the Russian Election Scandal, this type of misuse of software by governments or companies was being discussed by agencies/ marketing agencies and intelligence agencies. It is very interesting and I think this thread should continue if everyone is mature about it. Keep in mind that when Pokemon Go came out, business wanted PokeStops at their venues. Why? Because it’s an opportunity to bring a player in front of a store. Does it mean the player will want to buy/eat something at your shop? That’s different, but you the game can bring them to your door.
Edit: Another issue that can be added to this thread is sealed product and TSA issues at the airport. I haven’t had them myself but I have heard stories of people with sealed product having issues going through TSA.
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Not Pokemon specifically, but I know that digital currencies such as World of Warcraft have long been used by terrorist agencies to generate currency that can’t be targeted by sanctions.
www.cnas.org/publications/reports/terrorist-use-of-virtual-currencies
There was a lot of concern that this might be who was behind bots in Niantic’s Ingress game. Sketchy pop-up websites could be paid to fake a location and drop you in-game items. It took Niantic almost four years of it happening to thoroughly combat it. You still can find the websites, though.
If Pokemon Go did develop an in-game dropping system that allowed the exchange of items, malicious entities with a taste for untraceable digital currencies would almost certainly seek to take advantage of it insofar as they are able. And it’s increasingly advantageous with in-game currencies surpassing the values of real-life fiat currencies.
fortune.com/2017/08/01/venezuela-bolivar-world-of-warcraft-currency/
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