Iran's High Council of Virtual Spaces has officially banned the Pokémon Go app, making it the first country to ban this year's most popular phone game.
According to BBC, the High Council claimed that the game caused "security problems," but neglected to elaborate on what those were. Probably because Pokémon Go can take up players' times, even staying up late at night or neglecting working hours. Trespassing is another concern too.
It's also possible that Iran wants to stop the "Pokémon effect" to crowds of people hanging out in the same area for hours, or the fact that the game can also cause players to get robbed or assaulted when walking around Pokéstops.
BBC said that Iran contemplating a ban last month, but officials were waiting to see whether the country could work with the game's creator, Niantic Labs, over potential restrictions like preventing people from playing the game for hours each day or banning playing within particularly sensitive geographic areas.
Though Iran is the first country to ban Pokémon Go, it's not the game's first ban.
New York's correctional department recently updated its list of activities considered parole violations for sex offenders to include "downloading, accessing, or otherwise engaging in any internet enabled gaming activities, including Pokémon Go."
Officials in Singapore are also closely looking at Pokémon Go to see how it might impact the country's day-to-day life.
Source: PC Magazine
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