Comment on Ubisoft Accused of 'Secret Data Collection' in Single-Player Games

Katana314@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• splendoruranium@infosec.pub ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Based on the article text, it’s only citing things like how long you play. I thought most games collected telemetry like this?

  A commonplace travesty is still a travesty and metadata is still data. If my hairdresser asked me “Hey, in addition to me cutting your hair and you giving me money I’d also like you to constantly keep me updated on your sleep schedule, your vacation plans, marital status changes and the myriad of other things that can be directly gleaned from aggregate timeline data - all the other hairdressers have started doing it as well!”, I’d likely look at them incredulously for a few seconds while silently imagining stabbing them with their own scissors.

  Calling it “telemetry” has somehow normalized it over the past decades, I suppose? I just don’t understand how anyone could ever accept this as normal.

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  • Katana314@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    That’s the thing, though. I respect the analogy, but the equivalent here would be if the game was also checking your drive for other games, for financial apps, scanning your browser’s cookies to see which sites you visit, etc.

    If, while playing a singleplayer game, they’re recording what actions you take within that singleplayer game, it’s understandable some people wouldn’t even want that - but I also don’t see that as nearly so invasive as other data travesties. Worse, highlighting it here feels like a “cry wolf” situation where you’d desensitize people to the most harmful privacy breaches.

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    • splendoruranium@infosec.pub ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      That’s the thing, though. I respect the analogy, but the equivalent here would be if the game was also checking your drive for other games, for financial apps, scanning your browser’s cookies to see which sites you visit, etc.

      If, while playing a singleplayer game, they’re recording what actions you take within that singleplayer game, it’s understandable some people wouldn’t even want that - but I also don’t see that as nearly so invasive as other data travesties. Worse, highlighting it here feels like a “cry wolf” situation where you’d desensitize people to the most harmful privacy breaches.

      Again, I don’t doubt that you do not see it as an incredibly invasive thing. I’m lamenting that you (and many) don’t.
      You’re doing something on your computer. Locally. In your own time. With a thing that is - ostensibly - yours. Why is it even remotely acceptible that some corporate entity is watching you over your shoulder while you do it? I’m running out of words to express how nuts this seems to me.

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  • WrenFeathers@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    I’d say it’s more like your hairdresser tracking how long you are in their store and what haircut you get- but you do you!

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    • asmoranomar@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      We need to know your personal grooming metrics, you can opt out if you create an account.

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      • lath@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Also, you must consent to this and us potentially selling your information to interested parties or you’re not allowed to make use of our services.

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    • splendoruranium@infosec.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      I’d say it’s more like your hairdresser tracking how long you are in their store and what haircut you get- but you do you!

      I’m not married to the analogy, just totally flabbergasted that “Using your own software on your own computer when and how you see fit without being watched” appears to be a slightly controversial take for no apparent reason. Evidently I’m missing something, not explaining myself very clearly or both.

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  • rothaine@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    It sounds more like the hairdresser writes down how many brunettes they’ve had as customers that week, or which styles are most requested.

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    • zarathustrad@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      More like, if you purchased an electric clipper, and it wirelessly sent a message to the company every time you used it, to let them know how long and where you’re using it.

      They already have purchase info, they don’t need usage info. At least not for free with our consent or knowledge of the customer.

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    • Klear@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      The bastard!

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  • SuperSaiyanSwag@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    I’m sorry, but that’s a terrible analogy. In the gaming scenario, Ubisoft is collecting the data on their own product usage, your hairdresser analogy is going outside of the service that the hairdresser is providing.

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    • splendoruranium@infosec.pub ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      I’m sorry, but that’s a terrible analogy. In the gaming scenario, Ubisoft is collecting the data on their own product usage

      Well, in the corporate software-as-a-service insane troll logic hellscape in which we live that could indeed make sense. Mind you, that’s not meant to be a rant against you but against the fact that this train of thought has indeed been completely normalized.
      In the fantasy world of the past into which I’d like to go back to live happily it is precisely not Ubisoft’s product. It’s mine. I bought it - none of what I do with it is any of Ubisoft’s business. The business transaction has been concluded. If they want to know what I do with my game then they can ask me nicely about it. I’ll certainly not allow them to install a proverbial camera over the executable.

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• easily3667@lemmus.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  This is what people usually mean these days when they talk about spyware. Not actually spyware, but counting how many hours you play each game or checking how long you refuse to update windows for.

  But if you call it spyware you can write an article or fight on the internet.

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