In a move that has come as a surprise for many, the Iranian government has become the first nation in the world to ban Pokemon Go, the hugely popular game that has grabbed headlines all over the world. The announcement was made on the 5th of August and according to reports, the Iranian body High Council of Virtual Spaces, responsible for regulating online activity, has stated that they have decided to ban the game due to 'security concernes'. However, no specific security threat was mentioned.
According to a report on BBC, "Iran follows a number of other countries in expressing its worries over security related to the game.But it becomes the first country to issue a ban of Pokemon Go, that challenges players to visit real-world locations to catch cartoon monsters. Despite restrictions on internet usage Iranians on social media have discussed playing Pokemon Go in recent weeks.Reports last month said Iranian authorities were waiting to see to what extent the game's creators would co-operate with them before making a decision on banning it."
However, the report did go on to add that Iran's concerns about the game is not a unique case and in fact several other countries have expressed their concerns. "Indonesia has banned police officers from playing the game while on duty, and a French player was arrested last month after straying on to a military base while trying to catch Pokemon.A leading Saudi cleric said a fatwa (religious ruling) issued against an earlier Pokemon card game also applied to the new mixed-reality app.
The 16-year-old edict said the game contained "forbidden images" and violated an Islamic ban on gambling. But a fatwa's influence might not carry beyond that particular scholar's territory, and is not necessarily applicable to the whole country. Earlier this week, authorities in New York state said they would ban some 3,000 registered sex offenders from playing Pokemon Go while they are on parole.The ban is aimed at safeguarding the children who play the game."
