Cover image via Nextshark / SAYSNiantic, the company behind the app of the century – Pokémon GO – is bringing out the ban hammer on trainers who've been cheating in the popular mobile game
The bans are apparently directed at trainers who've been using GPS spoofing, cheats and bots that allow Pokémon GO to be played beyond the game's design perimeters
Image via Mirror
GPS spoofing is a method that lets you trick a smartphone into thinking that you're in a different country, allowing you to catch different Pokémons that are rare or limited to that particular region. On the other hand, bots let you automate certain portions of the game.
In a note published at its official site last week, the John Hanke-led company outlined violations of its TOS (Terms Of Service) that can result in a permanent ban from the game
Niantic has also taken a strong stance against third-party sites like Pokévision which offers real-time Pokémon tracking
Makers of the game's most popular third-party site have been sent cease and desist letters from the company over the course of two weeks. It appears the company is increasing its efforts to crack down on the kind of Pokémon GO playing it deems 'unfair'.
You know a company is not messing around when a cease and desist letter is sent.
However, it's unclear how Niantic is detecting the use of cheating methods
Image via Polygon
A number of threads on [Reddit's Pokémon GO](http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/12/12461136/pokemon-go-niantic-permanent-game-ban-cheating-bots) developer community, where much of the discussion around these techniques takes place, have popped up in the last two days. Many are trying to figure out how the Niantic's algorithm is seeking out cheating behaviour.
Nevertheless, this should serve as a stern warning to all trainers out there who've been cheating their way through the game. It's not cool, guys!
Think about it – using cheats in Pokémon GO not only defeats the collective purpose of the title, as trainers are meant to go out of their homes to catch and power up their Pokémons and claim gyms, but it also has a negative impact on the playing experiences of other trainers.
**Let's play fair.**
Image via Bustle
