Feature: Vietnamese players hooked on Pokemon Go amid concerns of safety

The Pokemon Go augmented reality game has become one of the hottest pastimes in Vietnam these days with people flocking to public spaces to hunt and catch Pokemon and show their results online.

Pokemon Go allows players to explore their neighborhoods and catch Pokemon, train them up and battle them in contests. It is the first popular "augmented reality" app which layers 2D gaming elements over the real world through the use of smartphones, meaning players must go out into the real world to hunt the game's creatures.

"I have met a lot of new friends since I started playing this game, as I've been spending less time on my home computer and go out more," Vu Duc Lam, a 25-year-old player, told Xinhua in Vietnam's capital Hanoi. He was playing Pokemon with his new friends at the Botanical Garden in Hanoi.

"My friend's mother also plays this game," Lam added.

It is easy to see people holding their cell phones or tablets and walking around public sites in Hanoi, including West Lake side, Hoan Kiem Lake side, the Botanical Garden and the the Temple of Literature, for example.

Even a rainy afternoon after Typhoon Dianmu hit northern Vietnam could not prevent players from going hunting for Pokemon.

"I watched the cartoon 'Pokemon' when I was a kid, and now I can play a game with Pokemon. It is just like a ticket to go back to my childhood," said Le Duc Manh, a 22-year-old student, who was with a bunch of other players at a public site in Hanoi.

Officially launched in Vietnam on Aug. 6, Pokemon Go has attracted lots of Vietnamese players, mainly youngsters. Many articles providing playing tips for the game have been introduced on the internet. And these tips are taken and used in various public places in Vietnam, including parks, streets and lakeside, all of which are popular spots for players.

"I often take a walk for my health and leisure, but Pokemon Go adds more fun to walking," Manh said while hunting for Pokemon Go with his friend.

While Vietnamese people are going crazy for this game, local authorities hold a somewhat more cautious view. "Though the game encourages people to go out into the real world instead of sitting in front of a screens like other games, it can cause some problems," Le Quang Tu Do, deputy head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said recently.

According to Do, the game has not been licensed to launch in Vietnam yet. Meanwhile, there were many fake versions of the game which pose risks to the players such as stealing their private data. Furthermore, many people have been playing while driving motorbikes or bicycles, causing traffic accidents, and players have been robbed while being glued to their phones' screens.

As a player, Lam has his own way to protect himself from such risks. "It is dangerous to play while driving. But we can travel in twos. One person drives while the other can play."

Vietnamese authorities are also concerned about risks and danger that Pokemon Go players could unintentionally cause to national security, because data related to images or locations uploaded by players could be collected and sent to the game producer's server.

Do said the ministry will ask the game producer and distributor to follow Vietnamese regulations, including not setting Pokemons in sensitive areas, such as those near party and state agencies or military or other restricted sites to better guarantee the safety of the players.

Sharing the same view, local Internet security firm Bkav told Xinhua that Pokemon Go poses threats to security.

"To play Pokemon Go, players must turn on their GPS and use their camera. The game producer may be able to collect data from players to build a real map of the places they went to play. If the data were to be used for nefarious purposes, Pokemon Go could, in fact, become a form of dangerous spyware," said Do Thi Thu Hang, Director of Communications of Blav. "It may pose risks to national security if players go to hunt for Pokemon Go at sensitive and important locations, where filming or taking photos are prohibited."

According to Bkav, there are also risks of malware being installed when players download and install fake Pokemon apps. The firm has analyzed several fake Pokemon Go apps and found malware which can control Android systems.

"Players should consider thoroughly the pros and cons of playing the game as it collects your data and information," the firm warns.

Amid the concerns, the ministry said it is considering banning the game. "Pokemon Go has just been launched in Vietnam for a short period of time. Therefore, we need more time to review the impact of the game, especially the negative ones on the players. Based on the review, the ministry will further consider whether to ban the game or not," Do said.

"It will be such a pity if the game is banned in Vietnam. Obviously the game has both positive and negative aspects, but every game has two sides," Lam told Xinhua.

"We cannot ban a game because it poses risks. We should improve the awareness of players, not ban it," Manh said, echoing the view.

"Players should play the game in a manner that is safe to themselves and others," Manh said. Endit