Pokémon is a Western intelligence tool, Belarus claims – POLITICO

Ivanov brought up Pokémon Go during a discussion about objects most likely to be targeted by spies.

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game, released in 2016, allowing its millions of players to use their smartphones to capture digital Pokémon (think: make-believe animals with superpowers) in the physical world.

It promised new users that “Pokémon can be found in every corner of the earth.” Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise including video games, playing cards and a TV show which launched back in 1996.

Russia, Belarus’ close ally, warned at the time that the game could be a security risk, while Russian media claimed it was a CIA plot. Niantic, the American developer of the application, denied that Pokémon Go was an espionage tool.