Ubisoft says that it’s “looking into” recent claims of “secret data collection” from players within single-player games.
Earlier this month, an Austrian data protection agency filed complaints against Ubisoft, accusing it of collecting player data despite having “no valid legal basis” for doing it. Per the comp
Just about a week later, Ubisoft has officially acknowledged the complaint and states that it is “committed to protecting players’ personal data”.
“We are aware of the complaint and are looking into it,” a Ubisoft said in a statement first given to Eurogamer. “Ubisoft is committed to protecting players’ personal data on our websites and games.
“For games that support offline modes, an Internet connection is required only at the initial launch – to validate the purchase and link the game to the player’s account – and players retain control over their personal data through our dedicated Privacy Center. We are continuously working to ensure transparency and empower our community with clear, accessible privacy tools.”
The agency, known as Noyb, stats that the company forcing players to connect to the internet even for games that don’t have online features “allows Ubisoft to collect people’s gaming behaviour.”
They continued: “Even after the complainant explicitly asked why he is forced to be online, Ubisoft failed to disclose why this is going on.”
Should the complaint from the agency move forward and Ubisoft be held responsible for the collection concerns, they could be forced to pay a fine of up to €92 million.
What do you make of the data collection claims against Ubisoft and the company saying it’s going to look into the concerns? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in official Insider Gaming forums.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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