Pokémon Go
The new app Pokémon Go is taking the Gold Coast and the world by storm. Recently, many users were shocked to hear that their new favourite game may have been putting their private information at risk.
Gamers who downloaded the game’s iOS app were given a scare when they discovered that they may have allowed the game full access to their Google account in the sign-up process. Personal information, such as emails, photos and documents were made accessible to the game’s creators, Niantic Labs. At the time of sign up to the game, Niantic did not advise which aspects of the customer’s account it was able to access. The lack of information caused a large amount of worry among the app’s players that their personal details were made so easily accessible to the company.
In response to the outcry from fans of the game, Niantic released a statement;
Once we became aware of this error, we began working on a client-side fix to request permission for only basic Google profile information, in line with the data that we actually access.
Google has verified that no other information has been received or accessed by Pokémon Go or Niantic. Google will soon reduce Pokémon Go’s permission to only the basic profile data that Pokémon Go needs, and users do not need to take any actions themselves.
The news comes after another troublesome glitch, with the App, where users were forcefully being logged out and having to re-sign in using their Google account or a Pokémon Trainer Club account creating a question in the stability of the app.
However, Pokémon Go fans don’t have to stress any longer, as the glitches were fixed in the first app update (version 1.0.1.), released on the 12th of July. The option to stop the creators from accessing everything but the essential basic information is now available on the Google Account page. Now Pokémon Go iOS users can catch Pokémon stress-free without having to be worried about the safety of their personal information.