Cybersecurity

Regulators Around Europe Are Saying Pokemon ‘Stop’

  • App accesses GPS data but asks users to forfeit legal rights
  • German consumer authority looks at forcing changes to terms
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Gamers love Pokemon Go. The mobile app’s developers, however, are finding European authorities a bit more difficult to win over.

The game has smashed app download records -- but consumer watchdogs across Europe are raising questions about the contract customers must agree to before using it. The terms of service waive a player’s rights to courtroom representation as a plaintiff or class action member in favor of binding, individual arbitration unless the user opts out within a month of the download.