The first country to ban Pokemon GO

August 10, 2016

Iran has become the first country to officially ban Pokemon GO, reports the BBC.

The decision was was taken by the High Council of Virtual Spaces, the official body overseeing online activity, which cited unspecified security concerns as the cause of the ban.

Despite restrictions on internet usage, Iranians on social media have discussed playing Pokemon Go in recent weeks.

Reports last month said Iranian authorities were waiting to see to what extent the game’s creators would co-operate with them before making a decision on banning it.

These are not the only reports of bans, with registered sex offenders in the USA being blocked from playing the game, along with on-duty police officers in Indonesia.

A leading Saudi cleric has also declared that a previous fatwa (religious ruling) held against previous Pokemon games was also enforceable here.

The 16-year-old edict said the game contained “forbidden images” and violated an Islamic ban on gambling.

But a fatwa’s influence might not carry beyond that particular scholar’s territory, and is not necessarily applicable to the whole country.