I read a lot of comments and think, knee-jerk reaction. Some comments I see seem to me to be born from ignorance. I really was torn whether I wanted to speak out regarding this topic, but I decided that maybe the good would outweigh the bad.<p>I have been on federal probation and my experience with it is at that level and not with the state of New York. So, I can only give you my perspective and opinions regarding the topic.<p>During my time on supervision, I was initially not allowed to have a smart phone, nor was I allowed to use the Internet. Over time, as I earned the trust of my PO, these things were allowed, however with the caveat that my use of them would be monitored with software running that logged everything. This was because my crime involved a "misuse" of the Internet. It also was because I had been locked away from the internet for over 8 years, and that my re-introduction to it needed to be gradual. The intention was for me to learn to manage myself for when I would not have someone telling me what I should and shouldn't do.<p>I have been off probation for 2-1/2 years now. I just recently tried Pokemon Go, mainly because I was interested in the business advertising aspect of it, and didn't find it very engaging for me. I did learn about Ingress, though, and that game was like crack for me and I finally had to uninstall it.<p>So, here's my take regarding the game and sex offenders:<p>Sex offenders tend to not see things or think about things the way normal people do. They have a 'tilt' or a dis-conjunction to their thinking processes, that tend to make them susceptible to fantasy thinking. They see make-believe as reality, and that is partly why they think themselves into committing their crime(s).<p>Pokemon Go (and Ingress) represent a form of make-believe that can allow a sex offender to disconnect from the importance that they have to be very careful once back in society. Running up to a location while staring at your phone can put a sex offender into a bad "relapse danger" situation, such as wandering into a group of children. While the offender may not have any intention of reoffending, it could be similar to a recovering coke addict walking into a party where there are lines cut up on the coffee table.<p>For myself, I think that New York is wise to do this.