By Rob Thubron on September 30, 2016, 1:00 PM
The Pokémon Go phenomenon may have started to die down slightly in recent weeks, but swarms of players are still causing disruption across the world. The problem has got so bad in the Netherlands that local authorities are taking developer Niantic Labs to court, according to The Guardian.
Since it was released in the country back in July, thousands of players have swarmed the beaches of Kijkduin, south of the Hague, to capture the Pokémon that spawn there. The sheer number of people roaming the location is a concern for locals, who believe the gamers could be damaging the protected sand dunes in the area.
Authorities say they have been trying to contact Niantic since mid-August but the company hasn’t responded, leaving Hague officials with “no choice” but to take the case before a local court on October 11. Kijkduin officials said in a statement that they want to ban Pokémon from protected areas and in the streets from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am.
"The municipality is demanding that Niantic switch off the coordinates to stop the virtual characters from appearing in the Natura 2000 nature protection areas around Kijkduin," thestatement reads. "People should no longer be tempted to walk through the protected dune areas. The municipality also wants the Pokémons to stop appearing on and around the Deltaplein between 23.00 and 7.00 hrs. so that residents can enjoy a good night's rest."
This isn’t the first time that Niantic has faced legal action over crowds of Pokémon Go players allegedly causing disruption. Last month, Michigan couple Scott Dodich and Jayme Gotts-Dodich filed a class action lawsuit against the firm. They claim that the Pokémon gym and Pokéstops placed in Wahby Park in St Clair Shores has turned their neighborhood into a “nightmare.”
It’s been used to lure victims and rob people, banned in Iran, and faces numerous complaints filed with the US Federal Trade Commission about its potential dangers, but after being downloaded over 500 million times since launch, Pokémon Go has proved a worldwide success.
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