Cybersecurity

Londoner's Diary: Have the spooks got spooked by Pokémon Go?

It may be true that Diamonds are Forever but for Britain’s spooks On Her Majesty’s Secret Service at MI5 and MI6, the days of catching a particularly  elusive kind of prey are over. 

Pokémon Go, the game in which players roam the real world to catch virtual Pokémon creatures, first came to the UK a month ago. The Londoner noted that both MI5’s Thames House in Millbank and MI6’s Vauxhall headquarters were home to a Pokegym — where players pit their Pokémon creatures against one another — and several Pokestops for catching the monsters. But there seems to have been a cover-up. 

Players in the area have noticed both Pokegyms have disappeared from the app’s mapping system. A number of corresponding Pokestops have also gone missing, with locals suggesting the increased attention to the covert buildings was unwelcome and could even compromise the safety of staff making their way in and out of work. Officially, requests to remove Pokestops can be made if their presence is considered dangerous or intrusive.