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Cuomo Seeks to Stop Sex Offenders from Playing Pokemon Go

By Matthew Hamilton
Times Union
August 1, 2016

http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/266046/cuomo-seeks-to-stop-sex-offenders-from-playing-pokemon-go/

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday directed the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to restrict sex offenders on parole from playing the popular Pokemon Go and similar games. Cuomo also sent a letter to game developer Niantic requesting the company’s help in barring sex offenders from playing the game.

DOCCS has imposed a new condition of sex offenders’ parole that prohibits them from downloading and engaging in any internet enabled gaming activities. The new regulation applies to nearly 3,000 Level 1, 2 and 3 sex offenders currently on parole, Cuomo’s office said.

Cuomo also directed the state Division of Criminal Justice Services to provide Niantic with the most up-to-date sex offender registry information and to contact Apple and Google to notify them of public safety concerns and to work with them to enhance user safety.

“Pokemon GO has generated enormous popularity among users across New York and beyond,” the governor wrote to Niantic CEO John Hanke (see the full letter below). “Through these common sense actions, we can together act swiftly to create a safer environment for Pokemon GO players and all New Yorkers.”

Cuomo’s directions and letter — first reported by the Daily News — come on the heels of the release of a report on Friday showing that Pokemon have been popping up in front of sex offenders’ homes in New York City and Pokestops and Gyms, at which players obtain in-game items and battle each other, are close to offenders’ homes in the city as well.

“While children believe they are out to catch a Pokemon, what might really be lurking could be a predator instead of a Pikachu,” said state Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, who released the report along with fellow Independent Democratic Conference Sen. Diane Savino of Staten Island. “We want our children to have safe fun, but it makes no sense at all to give dangerous sexual predators a virtual road map to where our children congregate. We must update our law that already prohibits high level predators from using social media and we must make sure that gamers scrub these addresses from this game and future ones.”

Klein plans to introduce two pieces of legislation aimed at cracking down on the ability of a sex offender to play such games and on the prevalence of in-game objects popping up near offenders’ homes. One bill would prohibit some Level 2 and 3 sex offenders from playing augmented reality games. Another would require game developers to search the DCJS website regularly to obtain offender addresses and remove in-game objects within 100 feet of their homes.

Pokemon Go has been on the radar screens of elected officials since its release last month. Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn, told Politico New York in mid July that he is concerned those playing the game could pose a risk to public safety.

Even with Klein planning to introduce bills and Ortiz expressing concerns, a search for state legislation including the words Pokemon or augmented reality yielded no results late Monday morning.

Meanwhile, DOCCS reminded would-be Pokemon hunters last month that entering unauthorized areas at its facilities could lead to prosecution after players started showing up at one prison in search of the virtual monsters.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles has advised against using Pokemon Go while driving as well.

Cuomo’s full letter to Niantic’s Hanke is below:

 

 

 

 

 




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