Many Pokemon GO players were delighted with the return of FastPokeMap to the game. However, the FPM developer earned a lot of hate from fellow dev when he withheld the API used in cracking Niantic's security net.
FPM Developer Piqued Due Source Code Leak
The FPM developer initially promised to share the API needed to slip through the Niantic security net in Pokemon GO. However, he changed his mind when the source code of his app has also been leaked to the public.
His change of heart with regards to sharing the API was quickly condemned by many fellow developers who are hoping they could use the API for their own Pokemon GO tracking app. Some however, were sympathetic and said that the FPM dev has the right to decide if he wants the API open or closed to the public.
Implication of Leaked FPM Source Code
The FPM dev's sudden turnabout has caused some bitterness in the PokemonGoDev reddit forum. They basically accused him of profiting from the works of others and want to keep all the fruits. This may be true but some also argued that leaking the FPM source code could also contribute to the tracking app's demise.
FPM and other independent developers have tried and succeeded in cracking the Niantic security code in Pokemon GO. With the FPM source code publicly available, what will stop Niantic from reverse engineering it to make sure that it does not work in Pokemon GO ever again?
The FPM dev and his allies may have successfully reverse engineered the Pokemon GO API. But it's not legal. They could be legally prosecuted if Niantic plays that card. For now, the Pokemon GO developer seems to be sitting this one out and watching the drama unfolding among the third party tracking developers. Once Niantic releases its own in-game tracker, this entire spectacle may no longer matter.
