KUWAIT: Kuwait is saying “no” to “Pokemon Go” in certain places. The tiny oil-rich emirate’s Interior Ministry issued a statement yesterday warning users of the smash mobile phone application from taking pictures of any vital government, military or security location. It also warned users not to pounce on Pikachus or chase Charmanders at mosques, shopping centers, malls and oil installations.

Lt Gen Sulaiman Al-Fahad at the ministry said: “No excuses will be accepted by anyone claiming ignorance of the law.” Though “Pokemon Go” hasn’t officially come to nations in the Persian Gulf, many have downloaded the app. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates also have warned users to be careful while chasing digital critters in the augmented reality game.

UAE issues warnings

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates warned yesterday that criminals could exploit users of the smash hit virtual reality Pokemon Go game and other apps to hack their phones and spy on their movements. The warning comes after Australian police said that a couple playing Pokemon Go were threatened at gunpoint in a park south of Sydney and blamed the game for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints.

The wildly popular mobile app, which is based on a 1990s Nintendo game, has created a global frenzy as players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters. The game requires the phone to transmit its location via GPS and uses its camera which the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority warned “violates the user’s privacy” and could lead “criminals” to spread viruses.

The TRA said Pokemon Go could result in users being spied upon and urged players not to activate their phone cameras at home or in other private areas. Pokemon Go works in the UAE but cannot yet be downloaded from local app stores. The National daily reported this week a warning from Abu Dhabi police of the dangers of using mobile apps while walking in the city. The TRA said that it is still “reviewing the effects and dangers that… these games and apps have on society” before making a decision on whether to release Pokemon Go locally. – Agencies