Pokémon GO is a worldwide phenomenon, and although it is yet to be released in South Africa, this has not stopped people from using a variety of workarounds to download this location-based augmented reality game, says Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO at ESET Southern Africa.
Read more: Pokémon GO is getting kids to go outside
We have a few tips for you about how to use it safely.
Download only from reputable app stores
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are already malware-laden versions
of Pokémon GO floating around. And these most definitely will not be the
last such stories we hear. So stick with the Apple and Google Play Stores,
and choose only the ones with more downloads than just about every other app in
the world.
Do not sign in with Google
Another difficulty caused by too many simultaneous downloads is
that people have been unable to sign in directly through the Pokemon site, so
the game’s developers added the ability to sign in with your Google
account. The problem with this is that in the initial iOS version, this
gave the app astounding levels of access to your Google account.
The latest version addresses this, but using any secondary site like Google,
Apple or Facebook to login comes with privacy considerations you should weigh
before agreeing.
Bring a buddy, stay in public places
Stories are already starting to come in about children wandering
off and getting lost going places they are not supposed to. Kids should
be accompanied by an adult, and adults should bring another responsible
adult.
Bring an extra battery
The Pokémon app is quite the battery-vampire. This,
combined with wandering off to places you may not know, can put you in a sticky
situation. It is a good idea to bring a spare battery in case of an emergency.
Be sensible
Travelling in numbers does not really ensure you won’t play
while driving, cross the street without checking for traffic, or loiter
creepily outside of people’s homes. Virtual monsters are not worth life
and limb – or getting arrested. So don’t let the excitement of the game
lure you into doing something you will regret.