Country becomes the first to block access to game, citing concerns about its use of location-based virtual reality technology
Iran has become the first country to ban the Pokmon Go mobile game, citing security concerns about the games use of location-based virtual reality technology.
Any game that wants to operate nationwide in Iran needs to obtain permission from the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance, and the Pokmon Go app has not yet requested such a permission, the semi-official Isna news agency quoted Abolhasan Firouzabadi, the head of Irans supreme council of virtual space, as saying.
A senior judicial official, Abdolsamad Khorramabadi, said last week that the augmented reality game posed a security dilemma and that the countrys intelligence apparatus approved of the ban.
There are many problems with the game and security-wise, it can create problems for the country and our people, Tasnim, a semi-official news agency quoted him as saying.
Irans tech-savvy young people quickly embraced the game, which has become a global phenomenon since its release last month.
Officials had previously hinted that they may allow the game to function in Iran on condition that its data servers would be transferred inside the country and that certain locations would be excluded. That request appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
Internet filtering is rife in Iran, but it has not stopped millions of users accessing blocked apps and websites. Iranians use anti-filtering software to bypass state restrictions and have proved extremely resilient, often migrating in their millions from one platform to another when a block is introduced. The success of the messaging app Telegram, which is used by one in four Iranians, is testament to that.
Millions of Iranians are also on Facebook and Twitter, despite access to both being blocked. Authorities have resorted to smart filtering in recent years, a mechanism that appears to be replacing the traditional blanket blocking of online services. Instagram and Telegram remain accessible, but officials say that content deemed inappropriate has been blocked.
Using anti-filtering software affects connectivity speeds and it is not clear if using it would be feasible when playing Pokmon Go.
The decision on filtering, however, does not rest solely in the governments hands. Other institutions that act independently of Hassan Rouhanis administration, such as the judiciary, also carry a great deal of weight.
Mana Neyestani, a prominent Iranian cartoonist, reacted to the ban by drawing a cartoon depicting a Pokmon Go character fleeing from the Iranian morality police.
One Iranian user joked on Twitter that it was difficult to focus on streets in Iran because you have to both look around to hunt Pokmon and also watch not being hunted yourself by the morality police.
Read more: www.theguardian.com
