Indonesia’s presidential palace bans playing of ‘Pokemon Go’
In this Monday, July 18, 2016 photo, Indonesians gaze at their smartphones as they play “Pokemon Go” in Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian officials have banned the playing of “Pokemon Go” from the presidential palace.
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.
Police have been banned from playing the game while on duty, and local media reported that Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu had warned that the game might be used by foreign countries to detect sensitive information.
“Pokemon Go,” which uses Google Maps and a smartphone to overlay reality with Pokemon creatures, has been a blockbuster hit in the U.S. and other countries where it is available. It has not been officially released in Indonesia but is already popular here.
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.
