Pokémon Go players may not know how much mobile data they are using to play the game and some in Congress are concerned. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote a letter to Niantic, the developer of the game asking about how the game uses data and if users are sufficiently being made aware of it.
"Users have reported maxing out their monthly data usage plans within a week of playing and have complained of eating through an entire family plan within a few days," the letter states. "We seek your assistance in understanding how Niantic ensures that customers are aware of the game's potential mobile data usage."
The letter was signed by committee ranking member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) along with Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Diana DeGette (D-CO). It points out that the game saw 7.5 million downloads in the U.S. in the first week it was out, pulling in revenue of about $2.3 million a day. With a Pokémon Go player using as much as 20 MB per hour, the potential increase in data usage, and cost, is enormous.
