Pokemon Go (Geospatial Intelligence Gathering) (Conspiracy)

submitted ago by Apoc

Pokemon Go is now out for iOS and Android, and was released 7/7/16.

It was created by Niantic, Inc., which was founded by the Keyhole, Inc. founder John Hanke. Keyhole Inc. was funded by Sony & Nvidia, along with a nice chunk of money coming from the CIA's venture capital firm In-Q-Tel, with In-Q-Tel receiving the majority of funding from the National Geospatial Agency.

The NGA was formerly known as NIMA, the National Imaging and Mapping Agency, until 2003. The NGA's primary focus is mapping Geospatial Intelligence, or GEOINT. Geospatial Intelligence is intelligence about human activity on earth derived from the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information that describes, assesses, and visually depicts physical features and geographical referenced activities on the Earth.

I checked out the NGA.mil website, the main page had an ad for what looked to be some type of Holo-Lens over a girl's face, advertising their magazine they publish. I'm sure they publish that for all their employees, not for general public to know (although it's free to read on their site, just not a popular publication since only NGA probably knows about it, and the few people that lurked onto the site accidentally).

So Niantic/Pokemon Go is basically a front for Geospatial Intelligence gathering, just like the former Ingress from the same company (which wasn't as hugely popular as the Pokemon intellectual property, basically every 90's kid with a capable smart phone is out playing this).

If they need pictures for a specific area updated, they don't have to send any agents/employees. They just spawn a rare Pokemon and someone using the app will take some pictures for them...

The Privacy Policy for Pokemon Go is a also bit Orwellian.

What are your guys thoughts on this application? Just a new Augmented Reality (AR) game, or GEOINT Agency wet dream?

A lot of the posts over on reddit regarding this have been heavily downvoted, which has a few users thinking it may be an 'actual conspiracy' since the astroturfers are hitting it so hard with downvotes and comments.

EDIT:

I found these sources (links from Wikipedia I found) and figured others may find this stuff interesting:

Describes John Hanke & Google connections:

http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/inside-the-mind-of-googles-greatest-idea-man.html

On Google's Military-Industrial Complex, describes Google's acquisition of Keyhole Inc. & funding from In-Q-Tel:

https://pando.com/2014/03/07/the-google-military-surveillance-complex/

EDIT 2:

Interesting video of Niantic Labs CEO, giving his "Adventures on Foot" speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lj9vBhfIGM

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HomerSimpson ago

So Niantic/Pokemon Go is basically a front for Geospatial Intelligence gathering, just like the former Ingress from the same company (which wasn't as hugely popular as the Pokemon intellectual property, basically every 90's kid with a capable smart phone is out playing this).

Your idea falls apart when you know that they use Google to get their data and Google already has that data.

If they need pictures for a specific area updated, they don't have to send any agents/employees. They just spawn a rare Pokemon and someone using the app will take some pictures for them...

Except these "rare" pokemon would be in areas where tons of people go every day which has tons of pictures.

Apoc ago

On John Hanke, the CEO of Niantic: http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/inside-the-mind-of-googles-greatest-idea-man.html

From 2014: https://pando.com/2014/03/07/the-google-military-surveillance-complex/

And Niantic was formerly known as "Niantic Labs @ Google" or simply "Niantic Labs".

HomerSimpson ago

All you did was reinforce my point.

Apoc ago

Which was what? That Google already has it covered? That they don't need this technology because people are always taking pictures and the random selfies in bathrooms and parks which show 10% background are somehow better than aiming your camera phone at a random landscape wherever they want to spawn these things?

I live in a remote area & got asked around 1AM on a Sunday Night / Monday if I found the nearby Snorlax when I went out for a little late night exercise, normally I don't see anyone out around that time of night besides myself on my street. I'm sure this won't be the last time, just seems dangerous to have people buried in their phones on bikes/longboards/walking etc. down desolate streets and shit.

HomerSimpson ago

Which was what? That Google already has it covered? That they don't need this technology because people are always taking pictures and the random selfies in bathrooms and parks which show 10% background are somehow better than aiming your camera phone at a random landscape wherever they want to spawn these things?

You do know google has a google maps car that goes around and takes photos right? Not to mention how inaccurate those images would be since it would mostly just be of the ground.

I live in a remote area & got asked around 1AM on a Sunday Night / Monday if I found the nearby Snorlax when I went out for a little late night exercise, normally I don't see anyone out around that time of night besides myself on my street. I'm sure this won't be the last time, just seems dangerous to have people buried in their phones on bikes/longboards/walking etc. down desolate streets and shit.

Ok? How is that relevant to your original conspiracy?

Apoc ago

Ok? How is that relevant to your original conspiracy?

From your OP:

Except these "rare" pokemon would be in areas where tons of people go every day which has tons of pictures.

Yeah people walk down random roads in the middle of the night and just take pictures.

You do know google has a google maps car that goes around and takes photos right? Not to mention how inaccurate those images would be since it would mostly just be of the ground.

Google Maps car drives around from the middle of the street taking pictures, maybe pulling into a couple parking lots here & there. Some areas aren't even mapped in street view. Have you ever pulled up the 3D view? Most of the images are pretty shitty when you zoom all the way in, you can't see much physical terrain features as it's all relatively 2D still. I'm sure that needs a good updating, aiming the phones at the ground would be great for updating the geography.

And if you read the article I linked you'd see that the CEO of Niantic, Inc. (Pokemon Go's developers) has deep relations with Google, and was the product manager for Google Maps.

I'm sure they are using it for far more than just aiming your camera & swiping Pokemon.

Google has had the dominant smart phone out on the market as well, smart phones weren't as accessible and open before the introduction of Android Linux which all use the Google Play Store for applications. iPhones and Blackberrys were considered rich people's toys...

So now they release this SmartPhone app developed by Niantic @ Google.

You do realize they now have thousands of people roaming outside/indoors as we banter, aiming their smart phone cameras wherever these things happen to spawn? They don't need a fleet of Google Street Cars, they just use a fleet of humans playing this free game. Pretty genius honestly...

HomerSimpson ago

Yeah people walk down random roads in the middle of the night and just take pictures.

I don't remember a snorlax being a rare pokemon.

Google Maps car drives around from the middle of the street taking pictures, maybe pulling into a couple parking lots here & there. Some areas aren't even mapped in street view. Have you ever pulled up the 3D view? Most of the images are pretty shitty when you zoom all the way in, you can't see much physical terrain features as it's all relatively 2D still. I'm sure that needs a good updating, aiming the phones at the ground would be great for updating the geography.

Weird. My city is very decently detailed but I guess I don't live in a place no one has heard of like yourself.

And if you read the article I linked you'd see that the CEO of Niantic, Inc. (Pokemon Go's developers) has deep relations with Google, and was the product manager for Google Maps.

Ok? Once again that doesn't change my original point...Google has this data already.

I'm sure they are using it for far more than just aiming your camera & swiping Pokemon.

Yes. And that thing is called money.

Google has had the dominant smart phone out on the market as well, smart phones weren't as accessible and open before the introduction of Android Linux which all use the Google Play Store for applications. iPhones and Blackberrys were considered rich people's toys...

Again. Just further proves my point that they already have this information.

Apoc ago

Whether Snorlax is rare or not isn't relevant to my point (that there are now random people creeping around my house at all hours of the day to catch Pokemon, when it was relatively quiet a week ago).

Weird. My city is very decently detailed but I guess I don't live in a place no one has heard of like yourself.

Talking about 3D View (Ctrl-Drag from maps.google.com), not Street View or satellite imagery which are both fixed point capture vehicles (the camera is stationary on a vehicle moving through neighborhoods perched at different angles whenever they decide to bring the fleet out, or in outerspace with a birds-eye view). Buildings/cars/trees have blobs for shapes but you can tell what they are, they resemble the object but they aren't highly detailed. You'd need many multiple camera angles to produce a true three dimensional view using photography.

HomerSimpson ago

Whether Snorlax is rare or not isn't relevant to my point (that there are now random people creeping around my house at all hours of the day to catch Pokemon, when it was relatively quiet a week ago).

It relates to the point of them placing a "rare" pokemon. If it was a "rare" it would be in an area where pictures are being taken. Now you are just changing your argument.

Talking about 3D View (Ctrl-Drag from maps.google.com), not Street View or satellite imagery which are both fixed point capture vehicles (the camera is stationary on a vehicle moving through neighborhoods perched at different angles whenever they decide to bring the fleet out, or in outerspace with a birds-eye view). Buildings/cars/trees have blobs for shapes but you can tell what they are, they resemble the object but they aren't highly detailed. You'd need many multiple camera angles to produce a true three dimensional view using photography.

Weird. I can see shit just fine.