Niantic is currently working to overturn a number of false bans given out to Pokemon Go players. As reported by Eurogamer, the Pokemon Go developer has acknowledged that its anti-cheat system has falsely flagged players for using third-party software and banned them.
We’re working on reverting strikes for some Trainers who incorrectly received punishments on their accounts. This will be done for Trainers automatically, whether or not they have contacted us. We apologize for the error.
— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) July 27, 2021
Niantic did not say if affected players would receive any compensation for being incorrectly locked out of their accounts nor did it give a timeframe for restoring the accounts. Some Pokemon Go players took to the SilphRoad subreddit to post about the false bans, but the comments made it clear that players did not expect Niantic customer support to respond or reverse the ban prior to the developer's official announcement.
This isn't the first time Niantic's anti-cheat system has given out false bans to players. The system is in place to attempt to prevent people from spoofing their phones and obtaining rare Pokemon from places across the world without actually traveling there. Players who receive a ban will get a short seven-day soft-ban warning, followed by a 30-day ban, and ultimately getting their account locked on the third violation.
Players will hopefully get back access to their accounts ahead of a jam-packed August in Pokemon Go, including Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl-themed raid bosses and an Eevee-focused community day.