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UAE warns Pokemon Go may expose users to criminals

The warning comes after Australian police said that a couple playing Pokemon Go were threatened at gunpoint

Afp July 15, 2016

A picture taken on July 14, 2016 shows an avatar on the screen of a mobile phone as a player uses the Pokemon Go application on their mobile phones as they wait with members of the media opposite the door of 10 Downing Street in central London. PHOTO: AFP

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates warned on Friday that criminals could exploit users of the smash hit virtual reality Pokemon Go game and other apps to hack their phones and spy on their movements.

#هيئة_تنظيم_الاتصالات تحذر من استغلال عناصر إجرامية للعبة #بوكيمون_قو التي تعتمدعلى مشاركةالموقع الجغرافي#PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/HA2AuhtLZ9
— تدرا 🇦🇪 TDRA (@tdrauae) July 15, 2016

The warning comes after Australian police said that a couple playing Pokemon Go were threatened at gunpoint in a park south of Sydney and blamed the game for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints.

The wildly popular mobile app, which is based on a 1990s Nintendo game, has created a global frenzy as players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters.

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The game requires the phone to transmit its location via GPS and uses its camera which the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority warned "violates the user's privacy" and could lead "criminals" to spread viruses.

The TRA said Pokemon Go could result in users being spied upon and urged players not to activate their phone cameras at home or in other private areas.

Pokemon Go works in the UAE but cannot yet be downloaded from local app stores.

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The National daily reported this week a warning from Abu Dhabi police of the dangers of using mobile apps while walking in the city.

The TRA said that it is still "reviewing the effects and dangers that... these games and apps have on society" before making a decision on whether to release Pokemon Go locally.