Pokemon GO: Privacy Concerns and the Free Labour of Users
Pokemon GO is a free augmented reality game developed by Niantic and The Pokemon Company which was released in 2016. This game application that is available for download on smartphones allows users to catch virtual pokemons and collect digital items from real location and landmarks. Pokemon GO became an overnight global phenomenon and has generated a revenue of $2billion since it’s launch. Although this app is considered greatly successful and a step closer to the future, this paper will take a deeper dive into the social implications of this particular smartphone app in terms of various privacy and safety concerns and the free labour that users voluntarily take part in. My research asks the question, based on Niantic and Pokemon GO’s privacy policies, what are the various privacy concerns and how does Pokemon GO exploit “free labour”?
Pokemon GO, a location-based game which relies on tracking user’s data and movements for the game to function. In its terms of service, Niantic states that information such as location, personal data and fitness activity is collected and stored while the app is being used, with the option to turn off the background activity tracking system, and that some data could be shared with third party service provider. This raises the question of what data is being shared, who has access to these data and what are the data utilised for? Another major concern that has had real life repercussions is safety issues while engaging in this game. There had been many reported cases of accidents, crime and death linked to Pokemon GO, ranging from car accidents, people falling off cliffs and an attempt of luring young girls into a van. A research done to understand smartphone overuse and inattentional blindness found that “playing Pokémon Go as the task most associated with inattentional blindness and reduced situational awareness (…) as Pokémon Go can be more cognitively demanding compared with other smartphone tasks” (Chen & Pai, 2018). The term social determinism is defined by how a person’s upbringing, social background, relationships and other social contact shapes their behaviour and social character (Rangel, Keller & Simpsons, 2011). The incidence relating to this game app will be explored through the social determinate lens.
A research published in the JMIR mHealth and uHealth analyses privacy policies of apps that target youth, the readability of these policies using a web-based readability calculator. This research found that privacy policies uses complex, inaccessible language to avoid liability in the legal, corporate field — this results in agreements being incomprehensible to most adults and youths (Eysenbach, Bender, Li, et al., 2018). In Niantic’s Privacy Policy they disclose what information they collect and how they utilise those information in inaccessible language, utilising terminologies such as ‘third party services’, ‘cookie’, ’single sign-on’, ‘device identifiers’, etc. Niantic define Personal Data as “information that can be used to identify you”. Their service does not only collect information you’ve provided in Pokemon GO, but information from third parties’ services such as Google and Facebook (Niantic Privacy Policy, 2018). It is mandatory for users to link their application to at least one supported third-party service, the personal information Niantic receives depend on users privacy agreement with the third party app and their own privacy policies (Niantic Privacy Policy, 2018). Aside from personal information, user data such as “IP address, browser type, operating system and webpages visited” before accessing Niantic’s services is collected. Such vague and broad policies raises the concern of what are the user identifying information that are being collected and shared between different services and what are users data being used for?
A visible privacy concern with the Pokemon Go app is Niantic’s access to user’s device location and fitness activity during and not during gameplay, users do have the option to turn off the background location tracking.
In there privacy agreement, Niantic states that they do not respond to the ‘do not track’ signal even if users disable their settings for using cookies; the reason for this is “due to the lack of industry standard on how to interpret that signal” (Niantic Privacy Policy, 2018). This goes to show that internet users’ privacy may not be completely protected despite taking the precaution of disabling cookie tracking when browsing the net.
When going through Niantic policies, they mention that they “use the information above[such as personal data, device location information, in-game data and mobile device information] to show in-game sponsored locations that are in your vicinity as part of the game play experience”(Niantic Privacy Policy, 2018). This particular policy is vague and could be interpreted in multiple ways. One, it could mean that users’ personal information is being collected in order for Niantic to put up Poke Stops, sponsored locations, as part of the gaming experience. On the other hand, this policy could be interpreted as Niantic giving these various sponsored locations player’s data. The terms of agreement only mentions these sponsored location once and provide no further information regarding how these sponsored locations function.
This paper will also illustrate how new media is a continuation of the late capitalist cultural economy through the lens of “free labour” by exploring how the app generates revenue and how it utilises free labour to aid in this process. In a research done to understand why people play Pokémon GO they found that people continued playing the game because of they find joy in discovering, fighting, collecting, advancing in the game, they have something to do, it has become a habit, they get health benefits from walking around, they enjoy the visuals of the game and are looking forward to the updates (Alha, Koskinen, Paavilainen, & Hamari, 2019). Even though players gain satisfaction and joy, they do not get monetary reimbursement by Nintendo for the time and energy they’ve invested in the game. Jin argues that free labour happens when “voluntary activity of users has been incorporated into the commodification process as media and information technology corporations and advertising agencies systematically exploit their users” (Jin & Hjorth, 2017). Another scholar states that free labour is when “knowledgable consumption of culture is translated into productive activities that are pleasurably embraced and … exploited”(Terranova, 2000). Traditionally, labour is physical or mental hard work to create commodities, however in the case of Pokemon GO, commodity is not a final material product and users are exploited to indirectly do immaterial labour for the app. Since this game is available to users for free, the company generate most of it’s income by setting up sponsored locations. The game entice users to go to sponsored places, for a chance to score special virtual items, and for every player that visits advertisers, such as McDonald’s in Japan, sponsored locations would be charged about $0.50 — at the peak of Pokemon Go, with about 3,000 McDonald’s operating in Japan, McDonald’s would be paying Niantic roughly $3million each day(Pymnts, 2017). With Niantic generating majority of it’s revenue from user’s free labour, I believe they should be more transparent in their terms of agreement in letting users know how their information is being used and not resort to vague and up-to-interpretation policies.
Other organizations have also tried to take advantage of the technology of Pokemon GO as well — by encouraging users to partake in free labour. For example scientists and conservationist in a Nature Journal urge Pokemon Go players to take pictures and identify real-life creatures during their Pokémon hunts and sharing them online, contributing to the world taxonomy(Dorward, Mittermeier, Sandbrook & Spooner, 2017).
This research will reflect on how big data is handled by big corporations such a Niantic through the game, Pokemon GO and the various privacy concerns that arises. The real-life dangers of using the app will be examined through the social deterministic lens and the “free labour” that contributes to generating revenue for Pokémon GO will be further explored. Utilising my interview questions to further understand if users would still use this app despite being aware of the consequences.
Via this increased layering of the digital onto location, ordinary, and conversant environments are altered into vital game loci. Examples where one can find Pokémon is in a person’s own washroom, gym, and even library (Terranova, 2000). The fame of Pokémon GO- advertised as the first ever-effective site based game received backlash and praise in equal measure. As all controversies on Pokémon GO sensation, one aspects remains clear, the computer video game relies on traditional, historical, societal, and ethnic settings. More so, Pokémon Go came with years of mobile technology, locating techniques, and Japanese traditions. The game capitalized on the need to incorporate new concepts and graphics to bring about simple yet intriguing games which cut across generations and relatable by other people. On the other hand, the people never gave it a second thought when it comes to giving information on their lives.
After the introduction of Pokémon GO on 2016, media outlet gave out varied perspectives on the gaming phenomenal. Their points of view ranged from industrious communal scopes of the game, to the darker controversies concerning separation, security, observation, and menace. For some, Pokémon Go is an optimistic practice- the gameplay induces a number nostalgic experiences, motivates physical exercises, enables sincere socialization between humans and efficiently improves people’s sense of welfare (Terranova, 2000). Some people are of the opinion that the game forces users to reflect on the issues such as gender parity, racism, social, economic, age and physical injustices pertaining town movement which indirect and directly many people from time to time.
More theoretically, after the launching of the gaming device, in July 2016, a bizarre phenomenon started unfolding (Terranova, 2000). Users across the world installed the Pokémon application and keyed into an amplified reality, roving their localities and community surroundings in pursuit for Pokémon and challenging other users at virtual Pokémon gym platforms. In the cross reality, players have to transfer via tangible space as they label, gather, craft and combat for digital artefacts, user other accomplishments, opening micro universe through their smartphones and digital overlays of the game objects and virtual locations.
As noted elsewhere, comprehending gaming ideas such as Pokémon GO gives people a chance to exploit social, traditional, economic and political elements of the community as the game relies on user based information to improve its services hence free labor (Terranova, 2000).The issues relating to Pokémon GO arise from its breach of privacy as it uses location technologies to enhance user experiences. It is vital to not that Niantic imposed severe prohibitions on users for utilizing unfair mechanisms to win common games. The developers of the game included new policies in gaming application, preventing unscrupulous means of winning the game. However, the manner in which Pokémon GO identifies winners and cheaters remains a mystery. Some people claim that in the quest to separate cheaters from real winners, Pokémon frisks its internal storages for a user’s personal information, which contradicts the rule of law. According to android rules and regulations, retrieving user information from their smartphones is punishable. Sometime companies suspended the Pokémon application for violating user’s information.
Operating in the digital media sector is not all fun and games as people seem to think. The Net slaves, coined from the term webzine, are gradually becoming vocal around the openly abusive nature of the occupation, its exhausting work schedules, and unmerciful casualization. The workers complain about the 24-hour electrical sweat workshops and the 99-hour weekly working hours coupled with poor management (Terranova, 2000). At the start of 1999, seven out of the total 15000 voluntary workers quit America online company due to lack of pay. The department of labor initiated an investigation into the issue. At first, the workers worked for long hours without pay, then, thy burnt out from the exhaustion. The above events reveal the harsh reality facing digital media. In addition, these events also unveil the gloomy world of digital labor characterized with poor working conditions degrading as days go by.
Yet, questions relating to labor in the digital economy are not effortlessly discharged as an advanced progression of acquainted rationality of capitalistic misuse (Terranova, 2000). The Net Slaves are not just a characteristic system of labor found within the internet; it also entails intricate associations with employment, which is universal in capitalistic communities.
The manner in which people speak about free labor varies most of the times due to dissimilarity in time and perceptions surrounding the topic. Haraway openly prohibited the humanistic tendencies of scholars who claimed labor force fell under the privileged category since the employed received pay after work (Terranova, 2000). Similarly, Paul Gilroy articulated his dissatisfaction at insufficiency of Marxist evaluation of work to elaborate the philosophy of the slaves offspring who appreciated creative appearance as a way of attaining personal and communal liberty. If labor was a civilizing task, which brands white men, then, humanizing labor does not make room for slavery.
However, the informatics of authority, which Haraway discusses in his manifesto, is specifically engrossed with the association between automations, labor, and assets. In the past 15 years, after the publication of his book, these facts became clearer to the public (Jin, & Hjorth, 2017). The growth of the internet gave philosophical and substantial provision to modern trends toward increasing flexibility within the workplace, persistence reskilling, self-employed tasks, and integration of practices. Publicity crusades and business manuals claim that the internet is a means through which one can gather information.
Digital labor labels value addition actions performed by people on internet platform. As an area of education, it concentrates on situations where an employer-employee interactions and outdated methods of payment (Jin, & Hjorth, 2017). Eminence given to unwarranted content providers, online provisional employees, unidentified websites, and mobile application operators over high tech specialists, scientists, and hackers. Distinguished backgrounds information contends that value-creating tasks occur outside the solid outline of the workplace and salaried workforce: Imperceptible employment of females and minorities, irrelevant labor within information concentrated industries. More so, structuring on these perspectives, digital labor researches isolate the particular impacts of pervasive computing and utilization of digital technologies which in order to highlight undefined and frequently overlooked work.
It goes without say that work force is necessary and essential for any business, either small or a large-scale (Jin, & Hjorth, 2017). Each company needs to keep records. Consequently, handling information and paying the right wages so as to always keep the workspace activity. However, as time passed by the need for more sophisticated methods of keeping information emerged and reliable accounting systems came up. Consequently, the rise of corporations created the need effective labor force services through independent firms. Moreover, in recent times most business enterprises or firms specialize in giving quality services and consultations, which can only happen with good, talented workforces.
The present discussion on the duty of digital technologies and big data designs to prolong widespread differences and reliance on authority, prosperity, and information Highlighted informational gaps in the arena of digital labor researches (Terranova, 2000). The changing aspects of relegation of work on digital media need attention on all levels.
It is clear that rate at which internet users consume information rises daily (Terranova, 2000). Googling facts became the norm and a way of life. some websites platforms exemplifies a website that uses graphical methods such as pie charts, pictures, graphs for illustration and ends up giving accurate, simple, and well-articulated information pertaining labor issues. In essence, after the issues of life and after all are said and done, the heavy usage of the internet calls for more labor policy formulation to prevent overexploitation.
Business enterprises have huge amounts of data at their convenience. The only challenge is deriving any meaning from the vast data resources and then interpreting knowledge into actionable strategy. Some companies adopted advanced analytics. The ability of changing learning culture or acknowledging culture from traditions depend on simple data or analog systems is an uphill task thus the need of applying technology and data. One of the tools of managing data is the charter of an institute, the policies, and functions, interaction of the firm with the market, structure, and forms of operations within the organization (Terranova, 2000). All of the above will help one designate data according to relevant functions, align goals to the subject matter of the company for the sake of gaining need, and achieve short and long-term goals effectively. In short, management of big data and channeling all the effort through big data interpretation and management gives accomplishes project goals. Regardless of the type of business one is operating, an entrepreneur needs to make use of valued data and ideals, which assists in good marketing skills, isolating the target audience, understanding the needs of the market, preferences hence making it easy tailor the business based on the client requirements. In order to do the entire above, one needs big data. Big data plays a central role in any business entity.
In summary, the debate on free labor began in the mid-1990s when the public raised questions on digital labor by pointing out frameworks and platforms managing the market forces within the technological world. After the introduction of Pokémon GO on 2016, media outlet gave out varied perspectives on the gaming phenomenal. After the introduction of Pokémon GO on 2016, media outlet gave out varied perspectives on the gaming phenomenal. Their points of view ranged from industrious communal scopes of the game, to the darker controversies concerning separation, security, observation, and menace. For some, Pokémon Go is an optimistic practice, which will entertain and improve the lives of people. In terms of big data, this research will be able to This research will reflect on how big data is handled by big corporations such a Niantic through the game, Pokémon GO and the various privacy concerns that arises. The real-life dangers of using the app will be examined through the social deterministic lens and the “free labor” that contributes to generating revenue for Pokémon GO will be further explored. Utilizing my interview questions to further understand if users would still use this app despite being aware of the consequences. First, a user has to download the application to his or her personal smartphone and the reveal personal information in order to create an account for operation and playing the game. Hence, the game takes most of the users’ personal information for the sake of running the application.
Bibliography
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Pymnts. (2017, June 01). Niantic Charges Pokémon GO Sponsors Up To 50 Cents Per Visitor. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from https://www.pymnts.com/news/2017/niantic-charges-pokemon-go-sponsors-up-to-50-cents-per-visitor/
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