Indonesian officials have banned the playing of “Pokemon Go” from the presidential palace. Police and military personnel are also being banned from playing Pokemon Go while on duty, officials said on Wednesday, after the defense minister warned the smartphone game was a security threat.
Hastily printed warnings that say “Playing or hunting Pokemon prohibited in the palace area” were put up around the palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.
“This is the office of the president, not a playground,” said Bey Machmuddin, chief of the palace’s press bureau.
Last week, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Agung said he had captured a number of Pokemon at the palace. But some officials have voiced worries that the game could be a security risk.
On Monday, Indonesian police briefly detained a Frenchman after he trespassed on a military base in a West Java town while hunting for Pokemon creatures.
Indonesians have joined the frenzy for Pokemon Go, which has become a worldwide hit since launching two weeks ago and has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints in cities around the globe.
Despite Pokemon Go not yet being officially available in Indonesia, many have downloaded it illegally and taken to the streets to hunt for virtual “pocket monsters.”
But its popularity has caused concern among the security establishment’s top echelons, with officials suggesting its high-tech capabilities could be put to use in spying.
“Spying can come in different forms,” said hard-line Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, adding that the game was “just not right.”
The military will soon issue an order banning all personnel from playing Pokemon Go during work hours as it seeks to protect high-security sites, military spokesman Tatang Sulaiman told AFP.
The order will note concerns that devices being used to play the game can send data over the Internet to other countries.
The announcement came after a Frenchman was briefly detained this week when he accidentally wandered onto a military base on Java island as he played Pokemon Go.
Police officers across the country were already sent an order on Tuesday banning them from playing the game while on duty, a spokesman said.
“We are worried that police officers may become addicted and we don’t want that because a police officer’s duty is to serve the public. The job requires hard work and concentration,” said national police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar.
At the presidential palace, press chief Bey Machmudin said the ban had been introduced as “this is the president’s office not a playground.” It came several days after a minister said he had spotted some Pokemon in the palace.
Pokemon Go uses smartphone satellite location, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train the creatures for battles.

Source ; Arab News