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Pokémon Go makers say they're updating iOS app to address security concerns

The iOS version of the app requested more permissions from users’ Google accounts than was needed.

Updated: 15.51

THE MAKERS OF Pokémon Go said they would be updating its iOS app so it doesn’t ask for full access to a person’s Google account.

If players sign up to the game through their Google account, it requires access to your location, camera, contacts, and storage, but the iOS version requests more permissions than needed. The only other way to sign up to the game is to use an account created through the Pokémon site.

Niantic Labs, the developers of the game, said in a statement that it would update the iOS version so this wouldn’t happen. The Android version does not have the same problem.

“We recently discovered that the Pokémon Go account creation process on iOS erroneously requests full access permission for the user’s Google account,” it said in a statement. “However, Pokémon Go only accesses basic Google information (specifically, your User ID and email address) and no other Google account information is or has been accessed or collected.”

Concerns were raised after it was discovered that the account requires “full account access” to work sparking fears that the game would allow it to access details like emails and search history.

Google itself warns users not to give full account access unless “you fully trust” an application.

When you grant full account access, the application can see and modify nearly all information in your Google account (but it can’t change your password, delete your account, or pay with Google Wallet on your behalf).

The concern was raised by an employee of security firm Red Owl, Adam Reeve, who said the issue was likely the result of “epic carelessness”.

A product security member of Slack also tested out Pokémon Go and found that it wasn’t able to read data from Gmail or Google Calendar through the app.

“I believe this is a mistake on Google and Niantic’s part, and isn’t being used maliciously in the way that was originally suggested,” wrote Ari Rubinstein on Github. “Given that Google is going to be retroactively re-scoping tokens to remove this possibility, Pokémon Go should be safe to play in the next couple of days on iOS. or even now”.

Pokémon Go has exploded in popularity since it was released in the US late last week. The game has yet to be released here in Ireland but that hasn’t stopped players from using other methods to download the game.

Originally published: 10.33

Read: What the heck is Pokémon Go – and why is it so popular? >

Read: A decade on, Segway creator’s prosthetic arm will arrive at the end of the year >

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16 Comments
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:06 PM

    All those dinosaurs will have died for nothing if the electric car wins

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    Mute M
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:12 PM

    Ok explain.

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:19 PM

    The self sacrifice of those great extinct animals and plants will be in vain if I can’t use them to power my V8

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    Mute George Salter
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    Jan 5th 2016, 1:06 PM

    Off by a couple of hundred million years. Good effort though…

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    Mute new phone who dis?
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:56 AM

    This is how far technology has come yet I still can’t get a text back…

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:12 PM

    2018….. Consumers being warned about Chinese cars catching fire while charging.

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    Mute Cathal McDonald
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:56 AM

    It looks shite

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    Mute GameOverMan
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:47 PM

    Another totally impractical space-age design that we’ll never see on the roads. Why do we keep dreaming up this kind of car? Surely by now we know that the futuristic look is just a sci-fi fantasy.

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    Mute John Collins
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:46 PM

    Looks rubbish. Old cars are way better.

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    Mute Edward Cullen
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    Jan 5th 2016, 1:51 PM

    Nothing in the article about power or weight.

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:56 PM

    Oh yeah this car will be a runaway success definitely. It’ll be up there with the DeLorean in no time at all. Wow I cant wait to buy one it looks so practical and cool and everyone is gonna want one. This is definitely a red letter day in motoring history… zzzzzz

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    Mute bacoxy
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:02 PM

    Faraday so close!

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    Mute Wilson I'mSorry
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:45 PM

    A hidden front for VW perhaps

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    Mute Gary
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:36 PM

    We have Faraday future and Tesla electric, will it be Volta or Maxwell next, or maybe Ampere, Gauss, Coulomb or Davy.

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    Mute dowthebow
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:51 PM

    Already have the volt, mitsi I think

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    Mute Uncle Denise
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:10 PM

    That tail looks great on the car

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    Mute Mark Sheridan
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:58 PM

    There show casing things that they will use on there everyday cars when production starts. I think the phone in the steering wheel is a very simple but great idea. Some cars these days are like a cockpit of an airplane with that many buttons, climate control, Music system’s, GPS and god knows what else. Most of which is already on a smartphone in one way or another and usually people with them know how to use them.

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    Mute reece plunkett
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    Jan 6th 2016, 3:08 AM

    Good luck getting that over the ramps in ireland

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 5th 2016, 4:13 PM

    I’m just waiting for the apple i-car to be released.

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