No, your Pokémon Go data has not ended up on war drones: Niantic's denial arrives
Niantic Spatial firmly denied the claims that geolocation data collected from Pokémon Go players would be used for training military drones. The company's reaction followed the publication of an investigation by the Dutch newspaper Trouw, focused on the partnership between the software developer and Vantor, an intelligence company closely linked to the defense sector.
The two groups have initiated a collaboration to develop technologies capable of calculating the exact position of vehicles and personnel even in total absence of GPS signal or in the presence of jamming attacks. The spectrum of field applications ranges from robots for landmines clearance to unmanned aerial vehicles. The core of the controversy lies in the accusation made by the Dutch media, according to which this system would be trained using about 30 billion data packets collected, unbeknownst to the users, during gaming sessions.
Niantic denies any use of Pokémon Go data for war purposes. Niantic's executives have rejected the theory of the militarization of the database. A company spokesperson confirmed the existence of the agreement with Vantor, signed last December, but clarified that the development is still in a preliminary phase and that the transfer of such elements is not foreseen in the contract. The company reiterated its commitment to ensure that its technologies are applied in compliance with ethical principles and human rights, rejecting the alarmism generated by rumors about the possible use of Pokémon Go to train drones.
The partnership with Vantor is not the only initiative by Niantic Spatial in this field. The company recently announced a similar collaboration with a company specializing in delivery robots, focused on overcoming the limitations of GPS signal reception in densely populated urban settings characterized by skyscrapers. The developed technologies aim to ensure that machines and human operators can share spatial coordinates in real time, without relying on conventional satellite networks.
The localization technology relies on three-dimensional models of the real world developed by Niantic Spatial, artificial intelligence systems designed to interpret physical spaces through processing terrestrial scans of monuments, statues, and public fountains. The company clarified that the final models do not contain copies of the original files and do not allow access to the raw footage previously provided by users. The aerial geolocation capabilities mentioned by Vantor, on the other hand, would be part of independent development programs that exclude Niantic's terrestrial technologies.
The 30 billion data points mentioned in the report actually include individual frames extracted from videos uploaded by users over the years on various proprietary applications, starting from the historic Ingress. The three-dimensional environmental scanning feature has always been an optional activity for the gaming community, used only by a minimal percentage of enthusiasts.
The operational scenario has nonetheless changed definitively. Last year, Niantic transferred control of its video game catalog, including Pokémon Go, to the publisher Scopely (a Saudi-owned company that published Monopoly Go!). The ownership transfer resulted in the permanent discontinuation of AR mapping activities within the application earlier this month. Consequently, no data stream from the famous mobile game is now shared with the Niantic Spatial division, effectively closing any remaining possibility of connection with Vantor's activities.