The US Holocaust Memorial Museum has told Pokemon Go fans not to play the popular new mobile game in its premises, describing it as "extremely inappropriate" in a memorial dedicated to the victims of Nazism.

Key points: Game's location-tagging algorithm problematic, researchers say

Game's location-tagging algorithm problematic, researchers say Users claim to find Pokemon at Auschwitz, Mosul front line, 2009 Victorian bushfires memorial

Users claim to find Pokemon at Auschwitz, Mosul front line, 2009 Victorian bushfires memorial Northern Territory Police ask players to stay outside after Darwin station flagged as "Pokestop"

The game involves using a mobile device to find and capture virtual Pokemon characters at real-life locations including apparently inside the Washington-based museum.

The idea of players roaming its halls, eyes glued to phones in search of the computerised figures, shocked many after an image was posted online showing one of the characters located outside the doors to the museum's Helena Rubinstein Auditorium.

"We are attempting to have the museum removed from the game," the museum's communications director, Andrew Hollinger, said in a statement.

The museum encourages visitors to use their mobile phones to share and engage with exhibits while visiting, he added.

"Technology can be an important learning tool, but this game falls far outside of our educational and memorial mission," Mr Hollinger said.

During a visit to the museum on Tuesday (local time), a Reuters reporter saw various visitors using phones to take photos or send messages, but no one obviously playing games.

That included the area outside the Helena Rubinstein Auditorium, which features recorded testimonies from Jews who survived the gas chambers.

Niantic, the game's creator, did not respond to requests for comment about the museum's complaint.

Inappropriate stops flagged around the world

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The Holocaust memorial is not the only questionable Pokemon Go location users have identified — US journalist Eitan Levine set out on what he described as an "absurdly tragic and unquestioningly disrespectful journey" to find the least appropriate "Pokestops" that saw him catch characters at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Alexander Hamilton's grave and even the 9/11 Memorial.

A Pokestop is a geographical point of interest where players can pick up virtual items to help them play the game.

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University of Melbourne researchers Eduardo Velloso and Marcus Carter said the way the game tags important locations was problematic.

"In its choice of city landmarks, the game's algorithm often chooses delicate or inappropriate locations. We compiled the Tumblr page PokeMorbid with a series of examples, including war memorials and mausoleums tagged as 'gyms', and Pokemon suddenly appearing at funerals and hospitals," they wrote on The Conversation.

The Tumblr page includes screenshots from people purportedly finding Pokemon at Auschwitz, the Mosul front line and the 2009 Bushfires Memorial in Victoria.

Northern Territory police were also prompted to warn players to not come inside the Darwin Police Station after it was made a Pokestop.

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Interest in Pokemon GO has surged since its release last week. The game was the most downloaded free app on Apple's app store, while Nintendo shares surged nearly 25 percent on Monday for their biggest daily gains ever based on its success.

A Democratic US senator has asked Niantic to clarify the game's data privacy protections, amid concerns it is unnecessarily collecting lots of user data.

ABC/Reuters