I know you said that you weren't responding to this conversation any more, but I know people like you, you're coming back to lurk and see how foolish we all are. So allow me to respond to some of your more ridicoulous claims, and feel free to respond to me, showing how foolish I am. If you can.
slash2x said:
So your argument is that you just do not personally believe EA would do something they POINTEDLY refuse to remove from their EULA?????
Origin says with will scan all of your hardware, including your hard drive contents and any attached media..... Left your camera on a dock? EA looked at your pictures.
Please tell us what EA has to gain from scanning documents and pictures. In my Hard drive they're going to find a lot of old college classes, half-assed pictures for a photography classes, some softcore porn, a metric shitton of memes, and my Steam library. What could the average user possibly have on their hard drives that they want to hide? Do you honestly expect us to believe they scan word documents for passwords or hints of piracy? Do you honestly expect us to believe that they look at vacation photos to see where they should make the next Dead Island take place? How about cosplay photos to advertise more things in franchises you appear to like?
No. They scan for games that you own, certain softwares (Steam and checking your Steam Library is highly likely. So are things like BitTorrent and Limewire, if we want to use your cynical look as to their spying), running applications (conflicts can happen if two programs are running at the same time, for best service they need to know where the conflicts are)and hardware drivers, which ARE software and in legal docs like a EULA they need to label as such (it's good to check if people are updating them properly).
I think you may watch too much CSI and the like, software that can scan Terabytes of pictures doesn't work like that, and the closest we actually have is so ridiculously expensive that TRYING to implement it across literally millions of computers would bankrupt them. Or are you suggesting EA pay people to slog through the billions of photos they would be receiving through this software?
Look at it rationally; if this software really existed, it is very likely that the FBI would be teaming up with Microsoft and/or Apple to install it with their products to catch software pirates and, far more importantly, those with child porn. Unless you're going to say that Microsoft won't let them because they're in favor of piracy and the molestation of kids. Without Irony, that is.
Section 2 Paragraph 2
http://eacom.s3.amazonaws.com/EULA_Origin_PC_ROW.final.5.24.13.pdf said:
In addition to information that you give Origin directly (such as email address and
account preferences), Origin periodically collects information including IP and
MAC address, Application usage statistics (for instance, if and when you
experienced unsuccessful installation), operating system (such as service pack,
drivers and support DLLs such as DirectX version), information about your
hardware as well as CPU information. If you do not agree to this collection and
use of information, do not install or use the Application.
Please use the relevant part of the EULA when quoting how sinister they are. Oh wait, there is none? Shock, gasp! I guess you'll have to use this completely fine, irrelevant but seemingly relevant thanks to legalese, non-objectionable section that actually proves your opponent's point if they care to read it.
Read through that, what does it say? They reserve the right to collect:
+Email address and account preferences
-perfectly fine, how else can you use the bloody thing?
+IP and MAC addresses
-again, this is basically required to optimize their netcode, and to see where the major usage of their products are. This is probably the most objectionable thing here, seeing as your IP and MAC addresses can be used to track who you are, and even then, it's not really.
+Application usage
-looking for competing programs like Steam to review their competition, as well as, like I said above, running programs to asses incompatibilities. They also word this like it's more focused on Origin's application usage, not other system apps, anyway, and Origin app usage is important to get the best service out.
+Operating system, including updates, drivers, and DirectX info
-again, they need to know this system information so they have a general idea as to what kind of systems they're developing for, in order to deliver optimal experience.
+Information about your hardware including CPU information
-is this the section? The one that has your panties in a knot? Hardware information does NOT mean contents of the hard drive. It means system specs. They need system specs so that, once again, they know what kind of platform to develop for, to deliver the gamer an optimal experience.
So, out of those 5 items (denoted with a +, with explanations denoted with a -), please tell me where it says that it will scan cameras attached to your computer, or how their EULA EXPLICITLY states that it can and will scan your Word Documents. Because I'm not seeing it.
What it appears you're doing is seeing that this Android App needs to be able to see your phone call usage, so it's obviously spying on you, when all it's doing is enabling the app to interrupt for a phone call. You're looking too deep into the smallest things because you know that THEY are spying on you.
The CLOSEST thing Steam say they will scan your SPECS and the software THEY install.
Section 2 subsection A paragraph 2
http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/ said:
For reasons that include, without limitation, system security, stability, and multiplayer interoperability, Steam may need to automatically update, pre-load, create new versions of or otherwise enhance the Software and accordingly, the system requirements to use the Software may change over time. You consent to such automatic updating. You understand that this Agreement (including applicable Subscription Terms) does not entitle you to future updates, new versions or other enhancements of the Software associated with a particular Subscription, although Valve may choose to provide such updates, etc. in its sole discretion.
Also know that you took a quote from the wrong section on Steam. Not all EULAs are created equally, Section 2 Paragraph 2 is not where it identifies snooping privileges for software. In Steam's, the same content is (mostly, I can't find anything about IP addresses) there, simply spread throughout the page, and defined slightly more clearly. Go on, ctrl+F for Hardware; it does in fact scan your hardware for system specs and to look for cheating devices. Read the EULA please before commenting on it. Also don't go into a lawyer battle when there might be someone better at lawyer-y stuff than you. Other than an actual courtroom.
You are not concerned with your privacy at all, and think that you can only protect yourself by destroying your system?.......Same thought process. I am not worried about crashing my car, but the only way to prevent crashes is to set it on fire and walk.......
That analogy only holds up if there were dedicated "care-wrecking machines" at every intersection on the road. Your computers, tablets, and phones all have inherent things in the operating systems that invade your privacy at all hours of the day. Phones have cameras (often times two ways!) that can be activated remotely without your knowledge, as well as GPS locators and even the signal that makes it a PHONE can be used to locate you. Internet Explorer and Chrome (and I'm sure Firefox, but have no proof atm) keep track of your system specs and routinely send info back to HQ. EVERY game you have keeps tabs on your system specs for research purposes. Emails become searchable by the government, warrant-free, 180 days after they're sent. Your ISP is required by law to track your movements online, in order to curb piracy as well as other illegal activities, like child porn. Your IP address is remembered by basically EVERY website you visit. Ever. Even owning a facebook or twitter account is terrible for privacy.
If you are plugged in to the internet, any notions of privacy whatsoever are laughable at best. The kinect was one thing having a constant camera plugged into your livingroom. However you are talking about preserving privacies that you haven't had in over a decade.
Dear God, I can't believe I spent 20 minutes writing a post defending EA and Origin. Things I do when people are wrong on the internet. I need to log off for a while and rethink my life.
