Boos Quoted In Law360 on Pokemon Go Privacy Concerns

Shook, Hardy & Bacon Miami Associate Eric Boos weighs in on privacy issues surrounding the wildly popular augmented-reality game Pokemon Go in a July 13 Law360 article, “‘Pokemon Go’ Developer Wades Into Privacy Minefield.”

In its first week, the free app was downloaded nearly 10 million times in the U.S.; criticism from privacy advocates followed closely thereafter. Although attorneys who have reviewed Pokemon Go’s privacy policies and disclosures say that they appear to follow industry norms, Boos notes, “You can have the most comprehensive privacy policy, but the devil is always in the details, and it’s important for any company that collects personal information to make sure that what they are communicating to its user base is what it’s doing.”

Boos also expresses that the Federal Trade Commission “has shown that it is the leading government regulator when it comes to these issues,” so compliance with the regulator is especially important because the FTC has demonstrated in past issues that it will take action if necessary.

Boos adds, regarding the app’s collection of personal information, including geolocation data, “Even though the app seems to be popular with an older generation, at the end of the day, it’s hard to escape the fact that it’s aimed at children, and any time that children are involved, that really raises red flags and gets people involved.”