“Pokemon Go” is the most popular augmented reality game in the world. It has a massive fan base that spreads across the world. Aside from being a phenomenal hit when it was first launched, the title has also earned a lot of criticisms against the safety of its players.
The game requires its players to look for concealed pocket monsters in public places, which could sometimes lead to accidents. Interestingly, a new report suggests that players may have recently uncovered a possible Russian cyberweapon.
GPS Spoofing
In an article published in New Scientist, it revealed that a potential new cyberweapon with the ability to mess up GPS systems probably exists.
Several Russian “Pokemon Go” players have also discovered this anomaly. The potential presence of a new cyberweapon was first documented in the early part of summer this year.
This happened when more than 20 ships navigating the Black Sea reported experiencing issues with their GPS navigation software. All of these ships were reporting that the GPS is showing that they are 30 kilometers away from their exact location at that time. The website claims that it is possible that the Russian are testing a new cyber weapon, which is the cause of all these GPS problems.
The article further claims that the magnitude of the problem did not become obvious until people started playing the popular augmented reality game.
It appears that the fake signal seems to come from the Kremlin. It sends programmed signals to supply incorrect locations to those relying on GPS. The signal relocates anyone to the Vnukovo Airport which is 32 km away.
Moreover, the article notes that the spoofing is designed for defense purposes. This way, enemy vessels will have a hard time navigating the area.
Aside from that, potential missiles launched by enemies will be misled to a different direction. The incident in the Black Sea last June and the reports from players of the popular augmented reality game appears to indicate that Russia is now testing the alleged technology on a larger scale.
The presence of the game in Russia
This is not the first time that the popular title has made headlines in Russia. Four months ago, a Russian blogger was caught playing the game inside the church. He was sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment. His arrest and conviction have made international headlines on issues of human rights and the dangers of playing “Pokemon Go.”
