This guys in Iran are taking Pokemon Go very seriously, i.e. the Iranian High Council of Virtual Spaces (it sounds pretty cool) released an edict which strictly prohibits the use of the game within the country’s borders.
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The authorities in Iran have banned the Pokemon Go app because of unspecified security concerns.
Indonesia has banned police officers from playing the game while on duty, and in France a player was arrested last month after straying on to a military base while trying to catch Pokemon.
While governments of other countries have deeply criticised the game for being unsafe, the second largest Middle-Eastern country became the first one to ban the game.
The High Council of Virtual Spaces was created by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s current Supreme Leader.
Pokemon Go: A global safety risk?
The augmented reality game requires players to traverse a map of their city or town to catch critters called pocket monsters or Pokemon.
There have been reports of people in Iran discussing the game, in which cute fictional characters can be caught in everyday locations, on social media. A blanket ban on the game is the first for any country.
Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android mobile devices.
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Iranian authorities reportedly said earlier this month the game’s status in Iran would depend on the level of co-operation afforded by the game’s creators, according to the Mehr News Agency, which is run by the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization. Luckily for the avid player, these accounts belong to registered sex offenders, meaning the ban keeps them from luring victims towards a certain dark alley by placing Lure Modules on Pokéstops.
