Ok everybody,

There has been a lot of confusion regarding Rule 3. We would like to clarify more about this rule. This post will be long and detailed, so please read through it all and carefully. Please, please, please do read our full rules page as it goes into a LOT of detail, more than these threads do and provides a lot of great information.

Rule 3:

Piracy, advocating or the act of cheating or spoofing, sharing game install files (.APK, .IPA), or similar will not be tolerated.

Piracy

The definition we are using is:

The unauthorized use, copying, modification or distribution of content

Essentially don't steal other peoples work (free or paid) or redistribute without their authorization.

Advocating or the act of cheating or spoofing

The defnintion we are using for advocate is:

publicly recommend or support

The definition we are using for cheating is:

Any applications, programs, or websites that break the Terms of Service and give players advantage over those who do not use it:

• Pokemon Location Maps

• Modifying the game to provide something in a way that isn't intended (Free pokecoins, etc)

The definition we are using for spoofing is:

Use of tools that Niantic determine to be against their Terms of Service that modify your location in an unauthorized way such as:

• Faking your GPS location

• Bots/Scripts that perform non-human actions (moving, collecting pokestops, catching pokemon) for you.

You are 100% welcome to discuss about cheating, spoofing, or piracy without getting any infractions.

This includes:

• Thanking a Location Tracker/Map for the work that they do/did.

• Asking if using one of the tools will get you banned

• Asking if one of the tools is down

• Discussing about whether you think using such tool is against the rules (of the subreddit, of Niantic, of the ToS, etc)

• Posting an article about how Niantic is doing xyz in regards to such tools

Doing the following is not allowed:

• Telling people to use such a tool like a Pokemon Location Map

• Telling people to use a bot/script or how to

• Telling people to use a GPS Spoofing app/service or how to

• Asking for a bot/script or how to use them

• Asking for a Pokemon Location Map or which ones still work

• Asking for a GPS Spoofing app/service or how to use them

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A part of using the Pokemon Go game, you agreed to their Terms of Service. A few parts I would like to call out:

You agree that you are responsible for your own conduct and User Content while using the Services, and for any consequences thereof. Please refer to our Trainer Guidelines (https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/support/guidelines/en) for information about the kinds of conduct and User Content that are prohibited while using the Services. By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree that when using the Services and Content, you will not:

• access, tamper with, or use nonpublic areas of the Services, Niantic’s computer systems, or the technical delivery systems of Niantic’s providers;

• attempt to access or search the Services or Content, or download Content from the Services through the use of any technology or means other than those provided by Niantic or other generally available third-party web browsers (including, without limitation, automation software, bots, spiders, crawlers, data-mining tools, or hacks, tools, agents, engines, or devices of any kind);

• extract, scrape, index, copy, or mirror the Services or Content or portions thereof (including but not limited to the PokéStop database and other information about users or gameplay);

IANAL so please do read the Terms of Service, understand them, and consult with a lawyer for clarification. Neither myself, nor the /r/PokemonGo mods can be held responsible for any interpretations you take from what information we have provided.

Essentially that boils down to services like Pokevision, Bots, Scripts are not allowed.

Again, we will let you discuss about them. Advocating their use, telling someone how to use it, asking how to use it are not allowed.

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Sharing game install files (.APK, .IPA)

More Terms of Service

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, Niantic grants you a limited nonexclusive, nontransferable, non-sublicensable license to download and install a copy of the App on a mobile device and to run such copy of the App solely for your own personal, noncommercial purposes. Except as expressly permitted in these Terms, you may not: (a) copy, modify, or create derivative works based on the App; (b) distribute, transfer, sublicense, lease, lend, or rent the App to any third party; (c ) reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the App; or (d) make the functionality of the App available to multiple users through any means. Niantic reserves all rights in and to the App not expressly granted to you under these Terms.

We've seen many people link to sites such as APKMirror as well as sites that have or potentically could have a shady aspect to them hosting Android APK install files. Our goal of this subreddit is to keep you users safe. We have a lot of technically unsavvy people who come here, may not fully understand the risks of using/installing files that don't come from a genuine app store (Apple Appstore, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store).

There have been instances in the past where users have linked to files containing malware, or similar, that got highly upvoted and had drawn even more attention due to people thinking they were being helpful upvoting the comment when instead they were upvoting something bad.

Niantic wishes to not have their APK files hosted on APKMirror and has even sent multiple DMCA Notices to have them removed.

We do not have the manpower, the technical ability, nor will to become a validator of these game install files. Please use the official App Stores. Those who cannot use the official App Stores, We're confident that you have the knowledge to locate those files yourself if you were so inclided. There is a lot of information out there on the Internet, just be careful, cautious, and safe.

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We are willing to, and have been willing to listen to feedback, and adjust as needed. We are in fact discussing about reducing or eliminating any bans for saying something like 'I use pokevision' or 'I spoof'.*

Please do leave polite, constructive feedback and do also leave it here in this thread, or send us a Mod Mail which will allow us to keep this feedback in a place that we as mods can easily see it, review, respond, etc. Having multiple threads spread out with your own individual responds or questions provides a situation where it could get buried before we are able to see or respond to it.

Thank you,

~ /r/PokemonGo Mods