Israeli army bans Pokémon Go over fears of exposing military secrets

Israeli troops have been banned from playing Pokémon Go over concerns that its usage could result in sensitive military information and locations being leaked.

The country’s military made the announcement on Monday, noting that the app’s requirement to access users’ locations and cameras, could potentially give away sensitive information such as army base locations and images from inside military buildings, according to AP.

Authorities are also concerned that soldiers could accidentally download fake applications impersonating the game and leak further information from their phones.

Pokémon Go players follow a digital map to catch creatures from the cartoon series by searching streets and buildings in real time.

It’s not only the army being warned about the game though. The Israel Cancer Association advised players not to stay outdoors during the daytime to avoid excessive sun exposure.

The game has been popular with Israelis and even the country’s president Reuven Ruvi Rivlin got in on the act by posting an image of one of the creatures in his office.

READ MORE: Pokemon ‘invade’ Israeli president’s office, IDF hunts Nintendo creatures (PHOTOS)

For Palestinians, however, Pokémon Go is not an easy game to play as they live under occupation and high-speed internet services are not available in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Territories are one of few parts of the world where 2G technology is used and remains costly.

Another problem is that many parts of the West Bank are controlled by Israeli forces, making it dangerous to catch creatures from the app out in open spaces.