The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received a pile of complaints regarding safety risks tied to Pokémon GO, as it seems that the game is perilous in many ways.
No less than 72 complaints landed on FTC's table pertaining to Pokémon GO, since the debut of the smash hit game in July. Of them, 56 targeted the game developer, Niantic In., while the rest aimed at Nintendo and The Pokemon Company.
Polygon reports that the majority of plaintiffs are complaining about the microtransactions in the game. One user notes that they shelled a whopping $450 on the title, but quickly lost access to their account as Niantic imposed a ban on people who tapped into third-party apps to make Pokémon tracking easier.
The user addressed the issue with Niantic, sending the company an appeal form. He goes on to say that getting a refund on the microtransation spending or recovering his account are both viable options, from his perspective.
Other complaints underline that some Pokémon GO Gyms and PokéStops are placed in tricky environments, such as hospitals. One employee of a medical unit explains that trainers would often come in and solicit access to off-limits areas to hunt for the little critters.
Probably the most concerning complaint comes from a driver who nearly hit a distracted Pokémon GO player as they veered into the road.
"I almost killed a child today who was riding his bike and veered into the roadway holding his cell phone up," the complaint reads.
Severeal other complains are highlighting the risks that players expose themselves to, as they are so immersed in the augmented reality medium that they lose track of their surroundings. As this case from the United States shows, this puts players at risk of getting robbed.
FTC will keep receiving complaints on its official website, but 72 complaints does seem a bit like a trifle seeing how hugely popular Pokémon GO is. At the time of the writing, the title was downloaded more than 500 million times, world-wide.
This August, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Niantic, claiming that the gaming company placed Pokestops and Pokémon gyms on or adjacent to private properties, without asking for consent from the property owner. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs also argue that it would be fair that a fraction of the game's revenue should go to the residents whose properties helped the game gain popularity.
It is unclear whether or not the FTC will take any legal action against Niantic, but we will keep you posted if that comes to pass.
