EA Germany: "Origin Is Not Spyware"

[silverbullet1989]

sigh... this again... im sorry but i couldnt care less what origin does.. i have a facebook acount, i have a steam acount, i have a itunes acount, my info is prob passed around all over from those companies yet origin keeps taking the flak for something that just about every other company does

Here is the thing, Facebook only knows what YOU TELL IT! And you literally advertise your life for your friends precisely for that purpose. You don't have to give up this info for anything else. The problem with facebook is the line between what you set as private and what you set as public, and how Facebook uses the date you GIVE THEM!

I use Facebook, but I never tell them anything. No problem.

Origin is FAR WORSE! You HAVE to allow them to worm right into your system, spying on everything you never wanted to get out there in the grubby hands of marketers or whoever, and you HAVE to allow this in order to play games like Mass Effect, Crysis 2, Battlefield 3, Old Republic and so many other games.

And the quid pro quo with Facebook is they are giving you a social network FOR FREE in exchange for using your data (that you willingly give up) for targeted ads.


But Origin, you've ALREADY FUGGING PAID! You forked over a LOT of money for these games and they STILL want your data for profit?!?!? And they don't just want the data that you have entered specifically, they want to worm in an get at data they know that no reasonable person would ever give up if they were asked!!!

Right and what will ea do with this "information" that they are going to steel from my computer? considering the data is anonymous and they can't identify you via the information, I highly doubt im going to get a guy in a black suit turning up at my door, worse comes to worse I get emails telling me about origins latest offers on games I've purched... oh dear god no -_-

Yes I see the point of willingly inputting data, and origin just taking data, but I still don't see any difference, there only going to have the same info what any other service has. Goggled my name out of curiosity and my deviant art account, MySpace account (which I thought was deleted) facebook account, hell even my hotmail address came up, along with a load of pictures of me!

Even if I had stuff on my computer that was pirated, private etc origin isn't going to take that information.. hell the way people bang on about it it's as if they're going to steal your bank account details and all your money -_-

That's the same logic as "well what do you have to fear the police raiding your house without a warrant?"

The worse you will get is NOT email offers, the worst you can get is something like a credit card being taken out in your name as they bought your details. Your details once they are in the open are HUGELY VALUABLE to scammers, blackmailers, for identity theft, fraud, lawsuits and piracy shakedown.

Don't fucking doubt it. Why do you think all these black-hats are constantly trying to get spyware onto your computer? For the same reason EA are, your information is valuable, so valuable and it puts you at risk!

Stop being an EA apologist!!! Especially when they themselves haven't excused themselves, only told bare faced lies that what they are doing is not spying.

woah calm the ef down... if your not using it dont get so worked up over it =p i am using it i am enjoying bf3 very much, and until something happens, until something like what your saying surfaces then i reserve the right to not give a flying fuck about another peice of software running on my computer, i dont defend EA, i hate the fact they have anything to do with such a good developer like dice... haters gonna hate

 

[Chevy235]

Nice of EA to drag the name Origin through the mud...AGAIN.

Tools.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Germans fight against EA's Fourth Reich.

I had to lulz a little bit.

Origin needs to fucking die. Privacy is meant to be hidden, not invaded by corporate hands ridden with the stench of money.

 

[Treblaine]

sigh... this again... im sorry but i couldnt care less what origin does.. i have a facebook acount, i have a steam acount, i have a itunes acount, my info is prob passed around all over from those companies yet origin keeps taking the flak for something that just about every other company does

Here is the thing, Facebook only knows what YOU TELL IT! And you literally advertise your life for your friends precisely for that purpose. You don't have to give up this info for anything else. The problem with facebook is the line between what you set as private and what you set as public, and how Facebook uses the date you GIVE THEM!

I use Facebook, but I never tell them anything. No problem.

Origin is FAR WORSE! You HAVE to allow them to worm right into your system, spying on everything you never wanted to get out there in the grubby hands of marketers or whoever, and you HAVE to allow this in order to play games like Mass Effect, Crysis 2, Battlefield 3, Old Republic and so many other games.

And the quid pro quo with Facebook is they are giving you a social network FOR FREE in exchange for using your data (that you willingly give up) for targeted ads.


But Origin, you've ALREADY FUGGING PAID! You forked over a LOT of money for these games and they STILL want your data for profit?!?!? And they don't just want the data that you have entered specifically, they want to worm in an get at data they know that no reasonable person would ever give up if they were asked!!!

Right and what will ea do with this "information" that they are going to steel from my computer? considering the data is anonymous and they can't identify you via the information, I highly doubt im going to get a guy in a black suit turning up at my door, worse comes to worse I get emails telling me about origins latest offers on games I've purched... oh dear god no -_-

Yes I see the point of willingly inputting data, and origin just taking data, but I still don't see any difference, there only going to have the same info what any other service has. Goggled my name out of curiosity and my deviant art account, MySpace account (which I thought was deleted) facebook account, hell even my hotmail address came up, along with a load of pictures of me!

Even if I had stuff on my computer that was pirated, private etc origin isn't going to take that information.. hell the way people bang on about it it's as if they're going to steal your bank account details and all your money -_-

That's the same logic as "well what do you have to fear the police raiding your house without a warrant?"

The worse you will get is NOT email offers, the worst you can get is something like a credit card being taken out in your name as they bought your details. Your details once they are in the open are HUGELY VALUABLE to scammers, blackmailers, for identity theft, fraud, lawsuits and piracy shakedown.

Don't fucking doubt it. Why do you think all these black-hats are constantly trying to get spyware onto your computer? For the same reason EA are, your information is valuable, so valuable and it puts you at risk!

Stop being an EA apologist!!! Especially when they themselves haven't excused themselves, only told bare faced lies that what they are doing is not spying.

woah calm the ef down... if your not using it dont get so worked up over it =p i am using it i am enjoying bf3 very much, and until something happens, until something like what your saying surfaces then i reserve the right to not give a flying fuck about another peice of software running on my computer, i dont defend EA, i hate the fact they have anything to do with such a good developer like dice... haters gonna hate

Uhh yeah... that's sound logic.[/sarcasm]

You are going to take a huge risk and unless it actually materialises with clear individual link to cause and effect then there is no risk. That's the same logic of the cigarette advertisements in the 1950's "well I've been smoking for years and haven't got lung cancer and if I did, who says the smoking caused that?"

On thing you CANNOT do is encourage others to take the same risks you are taking.

DO NOT say "everything is all right" when it is not!

I get it, you want to play Battlefield 3. That is clearly prejudicing so many opinions on this, but we HAVE to draw a line somewhere as once the die is cast there is no going back, you can't undo what has been done. And if EA can do this and get away with it, then that establishes that ANYONE can do this. Think about how you are voting with your wallet for a VERY BAD THING!

 

[Craazhy]

This whole situation can be easily explained with a couple Venture Bros. clips.

EA Germany to German public: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNJuSl91qY

EA Germany to entertainment journalism representatives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaxShzl1aTQ

 

[aashell13]

eh. as if I needed another reason to avoid Origin like the plague.

 

[GeorgW]

If you want things to change, this is what'll get it to happen. An entire nation, both the populous and the government, being against them is pretty much the only thing that will get EA to change, so lets hope this will lead to something good.
And this is not just EA, if EA starts to rid away with forced Origin that's pretty major for their competition, and may force a change.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

In case people want to play Battlefield 3 without the hassle of Origin, a crack has recently been released that bypasses Origin. This crack is only usable by those who have already bought the game and do not wish to let EA poke around their computers. It does not provide multiplayer access to cracked copies of the game. I obviously cannot provide a link to it but I'm sure if you search for Battlefield 3 on a torrent site you'll find it. I repeat, this crack does not allow you to play online using a pirated copy. You still need to log into Battlelog using your Origin account but you won't have to have Origin installed on your computer in order to start the game.

 

[PingoBlack]

Funny how everyone acts as if this is news ...
We had this debate months ago! When we first saw the EULA.

And I clearly remember a number of more reasonable forumites noticing Origin EULA allows BioWare to spy on you. Legally. We also noticed only way to not sign it is to avoid EA products.

Now suddenly, everyone is surprised that it's actually true? Hell, it should have been obvious, no?

Also, let me restate this: Why the hell do you complain after signing the bloody EULA? You could have avoided any EA product in the first place, knowing their corporate practices ...
Now that you signed it you have options: Either uninstall the thing or take it.
Too bad you already payed for it tho ...

 

[rsvp42]

Origin isn't spyware. It doesn't do anything more invasive than when Steam checks for non-steam games. Someone actually monitored it. I'm not saying Origin is perfect, but calling it spyware is like when Red-staters were calling Obama muslim: false and completely missing the point.

 

[Namewithheld]

All I can say is "DIE ORIGIN DIE! DIE DIE DIE!"

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Don't be silly it is spyware(like steam,ect) only via legit software. THo the definition of spyware is generally via unwated software.

 

[Clonekiller]

It's funny how people are actually defending EA. I guess privacy and consumer rights are soon to be a thing of the past.

Just wondering, why the heck would EA WANT your private data?

 

[searanox]

EA have been caught with their pants down too many times lately - genuinely degrading, sexist and offensive advertising, coercing reviewers and manipulating the critical reception of their games, and now the entire debacle that is Origin - for me to feel any sympathy for the scumbags running the company. I certainly won't be touching Origin ever again, or any games on it.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

It's funny how people are actually defending EA. I guess privacy and consumer rights are soon to be a thing of the past.

Just wondering, why the heck would EA WANT your private data?

Why the hell would they want to collect it in the first place if they didn't want it?

 

[Suicida1 Midget]

Its at times like this EA just seems to shout TROLOLOLOL. Also this is one of those times where i can say i knew this was going to happen.

 

[Sylveria]

sigh... this again... im sorry but i couldnt care less what origin does.. i have a facebook acount, i have a steam acount, i have a itunes acount, my info is prob passed around all over from those companies yet origin keeps taking the flak for something that just about every other company does

Ignorance is truly blissful isn't it? You have absolutely no understanding of what the programs you use or will use do or don't do and yet you sit here defending Origin. That's both concerning and sad.

 

[balberoy]

Actually this is the 3rd privacy issue within weeks here in good old germany.
-First was the "Bundestrojaner", a govermental backdoor into your computer, wich is very sloppy programmed and it's actually against the law to use.
-Second is Facebook, it's like button creates user profiles, even if you do not use the button, just that it is on a webpage makes it send data to facebook. You don't even have to be a facebook user, cause it always sends the data, wich is linked to your IP address. Wich is completely against the law.
-Third is actually Origin, wich hits right the spot. Many parents and many PC gamers ranged 20-40 really dont wanna take it anymore.

And to be precise, to bind a game to an account is not allowed, nor forbidden in germany.
When you buy a game, digital or a hardcooy, you buy a product and not a license. That means that you as a customer and "owner" of that good are allowed to sell it.

It's in a grey area, actually noone went to court with that issue, but when the first comes up their might be a shock coming to those publishers and STEAM, because they do illegal things.