Lakes Park Pokémon Go players voice concerns over privacy and consent

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — A nearly decade-old mobile game is now sparking new questions about privacy.

Pokémon Go still draws people outside and into the community, especially at Lakes Park. But a new revelation about how player scans and images may be used is raising questions about privacy, consent, and how much people really know.

WINK News reporter Paul Dolan went to Lakes Park to ask players a simple question: Did they really know what they agreed to? According to the game's privacy policy, when players submit photos or scans, that data can help map the real world. That's made possible by augmented reality, the feature that blends the game with the world around the player and helps collect that data.

For Tashauna Thomas, data security is serious business.

"Oh, I'm going around the city catching Pokémon, and then it's just like, oh, now they have your entire city mapped out," Thomas said.

ActivePlayer.io, a website tracking game usage, estimates that more than 50 million people worldwide play Pokémon Go each month. Whether data collection is a problem is debatable.

"I don't feel like I'm mapping anything that's dangerous. I'm not doing people's houses. It's never bothered me to do the in-game mapping," one player said.

Thomas suggested a different approach.

"Maybe, redo the terms of agreement and let people know that this is what's happening," Thomas said.

Another player acknowledged uncertainty about the implications.

"In terms of it being Pokémon Go, I'd say I'm not, quote, unquote, worried. But in terms of if I were to go research and see what they're actually doing with that, I probably would be a whole lot more worried," the player said.

Players can find hidden Pokémon all around Lakes Park. Some feel the game could serve a bigger purpose.

"I would like to see them partner with city planners and or city officials, actually doing studies on how they can improve the city and certain kinds of infrastructure," one player said.

Another player saw potential benefits for accessibility.

"For people with maybe accessibility issues, for them to be able to receive goods and services that maybe they don't have a car or bicycle or any way to get around," the player said.

For some, this is just the next evolution of technology. For others, it raises safety concerns.