Pixel Sundays: Privacy Tips for Modern Games

21 July 2024 at 10:00 in Gaming News with no comments
Datenschutz

Summary


Today’s Topic

Today’s Pixel Sundays topic is a bit different due to some acute issues. We want to discuss privacy problems and concerns of users due to recent issues and scandals. Today you will learn whether you should really worry about your data and what companies are actually doing.

Current Privacy Concerns

Recently, two games have been released where the topic of privacy has been particularly prominent. We are talking about The First Descendant, which you can read more about here, and Once Human. Some users have found some details in the Terms of Service (TOS) that they find concerning.

In the TOS of The First Descendant, there is a part stating that Nexon has the right to use the content produced in the game. So, if you create a video about The First Descendant or stream the game, they can freely use the content you created. This means a video you created about the game could be shown at exhibitions or published in trailers.

Privacy The First Descendant

This can be viewed from several standpoints. For most players, this part is irrelevant if they do not produce content for the game. However, if you publicly create a video about The First Descendant, you, as a YouTuber/Streamer, can earn money through your content. Moreover, since these recordings have already been published, it will not harm the affected person to be featured in a trailer or live stream by Nexon.

However, there were also privacy concerns with Once Human. Their privacy policy states that they collect your “Government-issued ID” data, among other information. However, Once Human only collects this information after you provide it to them. This clause is included due to China’s regulations, where you need to provide your ID to play live-service video games. Therefore, players outside of China are not affected, and no one will access your data without your consent.

Additionally, some players had issues with the storage of linked social media information. However, this makes sense as Starry Studio (the developers of Once Human) needs to remember which accounts you have linked so you do not have to re-link them every time you start the game.

Privacy Once Human

Your IP address is also stored. This is normal for a live-service game where you can chat with others. If you write things that violate the TOS, you must face consequences, so storing user data is necessary. Moreover, every website you visit on the internet automatically has your IP address. Therefore, it is not unusual for Starry Studio to have your IP address.

Important Privacy Tips

Even though there have been no significant privacy issues with The First Descendant and Once Human, it is still important for gamers and internet users to protect themselves and their data. It is common for players to lose their entire in-game inventories, for which they have spent many hours or real money, by clicking a malicious link. There are many ways to protect yourself, and we will discuss some of them now.

  1. The most important: Do not click on suspicious links from the internet. Whether it is a direct download from a website or a link in a chat, clicking a link can easily intercept your personal data or download a file in the background that infiltrates your PC or other devices and collects your data. If you want to download something, only do so from safe sources.
    2. Privacy

  2. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This greatly enhances your security. If a virus somehow gains access to your PC, it still cannot do anything without the code from your phone. Even if it sometimes seems annoying to always type the code from your phone, it is very important for your security.

  3. Create strong and unique passwords. Cracking a password is not easy, but some patterns, such as birthdates or names, often repeat in passwords. To protect yourself, use a randomly generated password with uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters, and numbers. This makes your password nearly uncrackable. Always use different passwords for different sites. If your password is cracked once, it can access everything. If a website tells you to change your password, please do so. The site is not asking without reason, and not doing so poses a significant security risk.

  4. Do not give out personal data. On the internet, you never know exactly who you are dealing with. With the advancements in AI, many things are possible, so do not simply give out your address, name, phone number, or other sensitive data. It is hard to trust someone on the internet.
    5. Privacy

  5. Be cautious of phishing scams. In phishing, someone pretends to be someone else and wants you to click a link or transfer money. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. No Arabian prince wants to give you money, so do not click the link! Sometimes, scammers pretend to be women and want to show you pictures or similar. Please do not click on the links.

  6. Trust no one online. Every online game has scammers. You might play a few rounds with some and then they propose a trade. They may ask to borrow your expensive weapon for which you have invested real money, promising to return it. The same applies if someone asks to borrow real money. The chances of not getting your item or money back are very high, so it is best never to agree to such requests.

  7. Use a VPN. To route your IP through another server, you can use a VPN. This makes it impossible to track your IP. However, this does not protect you from any downloads or similar threats.

Privacy

Conclusion

The major concerns many players have about the Terms of Service of Once Human and The First Descendant are almost unfounded. Such privacy policies are found in almost every live-service game because they are legally required. It is normal for your data to be stored to some extent. The negative hype about these two games has spread quickly on platforms like Twitter, even though it is not something bad or unusual. On Twitter (or X) and other social media, users tend to discuss things they either do not understand or exaggerate. So, do not believe everything you see online immediately, and check for yourself first.

However, it is still important to protect yourself online. Therefore, use different secure passwords on various sites and do not click on links from the internet. Always remember how quickly strangers on the internet can exploit you for money. So, never give out your personal information.

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By Kilian Kilian

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