New York bill would ban 'Pokémon Go' stops near sex offenders
Which would make it difficult to play in many urban areas.
New York state might not just ban sex offenders from playing games like Pokémon Go -- it may eliminate the incentives for them to play, too. A group of senators have introduced a bill that would prevent augmented reality game developers from placing objectives (such as pokéstops) within 100 feet of where a registered sex offender lives. Companies that don't heed the warning could face fines of up to $100 per day for every location that violates the legislation.
The measure has yet to reach a vote, and there's no guarantee that it'll become law. It certainly faces some daunting obstacles. The bill could easily be considered redundant when there's already a ban on offenders playing AR games, and banning objectives may cause serious problems for players in dense urban areas like New York City. Also, it's not as if this would stop determined offenders -- they'd just have to walk a little farther from home to find their targets. As important as children's safety is, the bill might not do much to help.
