Niantic Spatial Denies Pokémon Go Data Used for Military Drones

Niantic Spatial has strongly denied allegations that location data collected from Pokémon Go players is being utilized to train military drones. The company's statement addresses a recent report by Dutch outlet Trouw, which raised concerns about a partnership between Niantic Spatial and Vantor, an intelligence firm with ties to the defense sector.

The Trouw article claimed that "30 billion" pieces of location data from Pokémon Go players were being used to enable vehicles, including drones, to determine their location in areas without reliable GPS signals. It suggested players unknowingly contributed to military technology while capturing video of their surroundings within the game.

Niantic Spatial insisted these allegations are untrue. A spokesperson told IGN that their agreement with Vantor, announced in December, is in its early stages and explicitly does not involve sharing Pokémon Go data. The partnership aims to build a system that allows sensors, machines, or people to determine their real-world position and share coordinates in real-time, even without GPS.

Ground scans are used to train Niantic Spatial's real-world foundation models, which are AI systems designed to recognize and interpret physical spaces. The company clarified that these models are the product of the training, not a copy of or means of accessing the underlying scans, which focused on public points of interest like statues and fountains.

Regarding the "30 billion" figure, IGN ascertained that this refers to scans from various Niantic games, including Ingress, and counts individual video frames separately. Furthermore, location scanning within Pokémon Go was an optional activity and was fully removed earlier this month following the game's sale to Scopely. Niantic confirmed that Pokémon Go data is no longer shared with Niantic Spatial as part of this transition.

(Source: IGN)