Origin might be snooping around your files, and internet history

[VintageCake]

Reddit user drsniper121 have found using a simple monitoring program, that origin is accessing, logging and sending stuff back to EA.

 

I'm just going to drop the link to the reddit thread, and the imgur link.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/2aitbv/origin_is_still_snooping_files/

 

http://i.imgur.com/itkV0Q2.png

 

 

this is what their pr had to say

 

http://i.imgur.com/eQRwIDM.jpg

 

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Will update as i find more stuff.

Sorry for shitty post, going to look more into this and come back.

 

 

Update 1: More pics

http://i.imgur.com/P6O2WPY.png

http://i.imgur.com/1HxV9My.png

http://i.imgur.com/G7kmjBm.png

http://i.imgur.com/nt7WhCu.png

 

 

Update 2:

The privacy policy totally allows for this, it seems.

A post taken directly from /u/haekuh

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In the EA terms of service what OP posted about is perfectly within the rules that we all agreed to. This info is listed as non identifiable personal information and EA does share this info with third parties.

 

the important part We need to realize that EA games thinks it is perfectly fine to harvest our "non identifiable Personal information" aka anything that isnt your name,address,phone #,SSN, or DOB and sell it to third parties?

 

the following is the proof for my statements These following quotes are copied directly out of EA's privacy policy. Including the final quote which to me sounds really god damn rude

 

 

 

"EA collects non-personal information along with personal information when you actively provide it in the context of various online and mobile activities including online and mobile purchases, game registration and marketing surveys, for instance. In addition, we and other third parties use cookies and other technologies to passively collect non-personal demographic information, personalize your experience on our sites and monitor advertisements and other activities as described below. We may also derive from the information collected other facts, such as determining the applicable tax rate based on your IP address.

 

By playing an EA game through a social network or other third party platform or service or by connecting to such a third party network, platform or service via one of our products and/or services, you are authorizing EA to collect, store, and use in accordance with this Privacy Policy any and all information that you agreed the social network or other third party platform could provide to EA through the social network/third party platform Application Programming Interface (API) based on your settings on the third party social network or platform. Your agreement takes place when you connect with the third party network, platform or service via our products and/or services, and/or when you connect with, "accept" or "allow" (or similar terms) one of our applications through a social network, or other third party platform or service.

 

EA may also collect or receive information about you from other EA users who choose to upload their email and other contacts. This information will be stored by us and used primarily to help you and your friends connect.

 

The advertising companies who deliver ads for us may combine the information collected or obtained from EA with other information they have independently collected from other websites and/or other online or mobile products and services relating to your web browser's activities across their network of websites. Many of these companies collect and use information under their own privacy policies.

These ad serving technologies are integrated into our sites, online or mobile products and services; if you do not want to use this technology, do not play."

 

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Origin wasn't actually snooping around, turned out to be nothing.

Nothing to see here, folks.

[Wiff]

who cares about registry, as long as they dont change or delete something everything is fine

[Guest Kloaked]

Steam does the same thing.

[Kevinkt]

who cares about registry, as long as they dont change or delete something everything is fine

What if they find out you're about to do a school shooting then EA finds out what you're up too and reports it the cops. then EA all over the news for "spying for good on gamers" 

[Imaginaerum]

What if they find out you're about to do a school shooting then EA finds out what you're up too and reports it the cops. then EA all over the news for "spying for good on gamers" 

They probably send the information to the NSA because that's their job. That's what the government site says anyway so it must be true.

[flibberdipper]

EA is an all around fuck up.

[EChondo]

I don't care if it is looking at my installed programs and seeing what I use most.
 
However, I do have a problem if this is not stated in the EULA and I do have a problem with them doing this because they have not explained WHY they do this.
 
So, why do they do this? Steam asked me if it could scan what I had installed a year or so ago and I let it and it was added to the Software/Hardware survey, but it seems they have stopped asking me/stopped updating it entirely. I believe in Steam's EULA they state they can do this, but at least they tell us why they do it.
 
I don't want anybody collecting any sort of information off of me unless I know their intent. I know Steam's(well, their old intent, I don't know if they are still doing it), but I don't know EA's.
 
*Edit
 

"...if you do not want to use this technology, do not play."

Fine by me, I haven't installed Origin nor used it since, I think, a year or so ago.

 

Was interested in buying Titanfall, but no thanks.

[LAwLz]

who cares about registry, as long as they dont change or delete something everything is fine

I assume you think the old "if you got nothing to hide you got nothing to fear" saying is valid as well. Am I correct?

[thewhitestig]

Well, we all agreed to the terms of service... sooo I don't see a problem there. What are you people gonna do? Stop using Origin? I know I won't. Of course they track everything you do. If it's not Origin, it's some other application. Facebook for example tracks your mouse movements to see how long you hover over ads. Always assume you're being tracked when using apps connected to the internet. 

[qwertywarrior]

Steam does the same thing.

steam checks installed programs and lists them publicly

but i never heard them checking browsing history among other things like EA is doing

[deathjester]

To be fair, the privacy policies for everything are whacked. I mean has anyone actually read the terms of service for a game like World of Warcraft? 

[qwertywarrior]

Well, we all agreed to the terms of service... sooo I don't see a problem there. What are you people gonna do?

u could always sandbox it

[catbutts]

who cares about registry, as long as they dont change or delete something everything is fine

automation + false positive = turd

[Guest Kloaked]

steam checks installed programs and lists them publicly

but i never heard them checking browsing history among other things like EA is doing

 

Well they've been doing it for a lot longer than Origin has existed.

 

They do it to find cheats and hacks (certain modified game files).

[VintageCake]

Well they've been doing it for a lot longer than Origin has existed.

 

They do it to find cheats and hacks (certain modified game files).

If i remember correctly, VAC (Valve-Anti-Cheat) checks internet history to pair up cheats and websites. If it detects a cheat, it can locate where you got it from. Or simply confirm a suspected cheat due to you visiting a site where you can buy cheats from, regularly.

[qwertywarrior]

Well they've been doing it for a lot longer than Origin has existed.

 

They do it to find cheats and hacks (certain modified game files).

yes i know about that

 

but thats nothing like what Origin is doing

what origin is doing is data mining

[Guest Kloaked]

If i remember correctly, VAC (Valve-Anti-Cheat) checks internet history to pair up cheats and websites. If it detects a cheat, it can locate where you got it from. Or simply confirm a suspected cheat due to you visiting a site where you can buy cheats from, regularly.

 

 

yes i know about that

 

but thats nothing like what Origin is doing

what origin is doing is data mining

 

I dunno. I remember seeing a big uproar from a bunch of people on another forum with a link to an article about Steam snooping into internet history and other files. After reading it I came to the same conclusion as a bunch of other people - they were just scanning for cheat and hack files that are against terms of service.

 

I thought Origin would be doing the same thing. I know they both also collect PC hardware specs.

 

But I mean, I wouldn't put it passed EA to do something stupid like actually mining private data.

[Misanthrope]

You know, I'm sort of glad I never recovered my EA credentials and didn't download origin for the free BF3 promo.

[StingBull]

How is checking my porn will help you market me games EA? Or is there an adult section on Origin that I have missed?

[Victorious Secret]

How is checking my porn will help you market me games EA? Or is there an adult section on Origin that I have missed?

 

Sims 4 DLC. 

 

Calling it right now:

 

Sims 4: Hefner's Package

[Kamina]

Well, technically we did agree to this.

[XTankSlayerX]

Lets bash EA cause its not Valve. Steam does the same god damn thing....

[Imaginaerum]

Lets bash EA cause its not Valve. Steam does the same god damn thing....

There was some decent outrage over Steam tracking you for looking at cheat sites so I wouldn't pull the double standard card here. Besides no one's seemed particularly angry in this thread beyond the usual dislike of EA

[XTankSlayerX]

Imaginaerum, on 12 Jul 2014 - 6:04 PM, said:

There was some decent outrage over Steam tracking you for looking at cheat sites so I wouldn't pull the double standard card here. Besides no one's seemed particularly angry in this thread beyond the usual dislike of EA

True, ive completely forgotten about that.

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

Lol let EA see my internet history. Someone's gonna get fired for jerking off to some of that internet history.