Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Director Oliver Stone Says Pokemon Go Will Bring On A 'Robot Society'
Oliver Stone and a few friends at Comic-Con. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images, additional editing by Julia Wick/LAist)
Oliver Stone made his first ever appearance at Comic-Con on Thursday, and the 69-year-old director had a few choice words about the latest craze sweeping the nation.At a panel for his forthcoming film Snowden—starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the NSA whistleblower—Stone was asked about Pokemon Go, to which he said the game was "a new level of invasion."
"They are data mining every person in this room," Stone said, reports Variety. He called the game and similar apps "surveillance capitalism" and said they would lead to a "robot society."
"It's what they call totalitarianism," said the director.
Stone, of course, is known for his radical politics that many might consider crackpot. Just to name a few, he partly blamed 9/11 on Hollywood movies and recently suggested the CIA was behind the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
But what Stone said isn't completely pie-in-the-sky. After that first weekend Pokemon Go took the nation by storm, there was panic over the level of access the game had to your Google account (which turned out to be overblown). Still, it is a game that does track where you are, so catch 'em all at your own discretion.
If you're feeling what Stone is saying and Pokemon isn't your thing, may we suggest Wokémon?
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
