Pokemon GoAttention players of Pokémon Go! Read ahead if you don't want your entire Pokédex deleted. Niantic, the creator of the game that's literally taken up all of the world's time, released a blurb on their website explaining how one may get banned from the game. Users can get their Poké-privileges revoked if you get caught "falsifying your location, using emulators, modified or unofficial software and/or accessing Pokémon Go clients or backends in an unauthorized manner including through the use of third-party software." In other words, do not do those things unless you're okay with saying goodbye to your account forever.
Chances are if you are an experienced Pokémon Go player, you understand this techie jargon. If you're just here for the Pikachus, The Verge notes that falsifying your location, for example, allows for players to fool their game into thinking they're in another location, which lets you catch Pokémon that might not be available in your actual area. Sneaky! The site also says there is still no word on just how they will determine if a player is cheating. Err...what?
There is hope if you find that your account has been erased in error (gasp!). Niantic says you can appeal your account termination by submitting a request on their website. Phew. The company noted in their post, "Our goal is to provide a fair, fun and legitimate game experience for everyone. We will continue to work with all of you to improve the quality of the gameplay, including ongoing optimization and fine tuning of our anti-cheat system." Seems fair to us!
Is Pokémon Go dangerous?