Does KSP really have spyware in it?

[MikeZDB]

NASA SPYWARE, 5G SPYWARE, MOBILE PHONES SPYWARE, APPS SPYWARE, GOVERMENTS......... NWO SPYWARE... you accept all of that stuff and you are make questions about worried in KSP? ...... Ok..... 

 

[Kerbart]

5 hours ago, KrisKelvin said:

Why does that make me gullible? It makes very specific points and I don’t see what the motivation would be to fabricate them. 
 

Conversely perhaps you’re too much of a fanboy not to believe them?

In any case, I’ll go and look for other threads.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If this were a renowned news site (and I will go light here, even “PC Gamer” or “Gizmodo” would qualify in this context), I’d take it a bit more serious, but some cheapo webpage that anyone can hide behind?

It claims malicious spyware, not just “regular” spyware. What’s the malicious part? Why is it not mentioned what malicious evil things it does on top of allegedly being spyware?

KSP collects payment information. Oh my goodness! Yes, when you pay for it, they want some information to actually get paid. Are you suggesting we should pirate the game instead?

Facebook integration? Really? You mean there’s a facebook page?

As for motivation: you’d be shocked to see what people do for attention. Or maybe retribution for conceived wrongdoing. Nothing better than not being able to land on Mun and not getting your money back than slandering them. Speaking of which, @Squad might want to take a look at that page.

 

Call me a fanboy but until I see something more substantial than some wild empty claims I’m not too worried. We had Redshell, and that has been resolved (even though it was a stotm in a glass of water), and this would pale to that in comparison. It would be shocking to see all of this is true, but right now those claims look as meaningful as “the earth is flat.” Yes, shocking, but unlikely.

[Vanamonde]

Please disagree with each other without mocking each other, okay? We're all KSP players here. 

[KrisKelvin]

Well, I’m not really disagreeing. You guys clearly know more than I, so you have reassured me. 

I guess I just didn’t like being called gullible.

Anyway. All good. Thanks again and apologies for any intemperate language.

[Kerbart]

46 minutes ago, KrisKelvin said:

Well, I’m not really disagreeing. You guys clearly know more than I, so you have reassured me. 

I guess I just didn’t like being called gullible.

Anyway. All good. Thanks again and apologies for any intemperate language.

My bad Kris! And I apologize for that.

This is not the first time this has come around, hence the, perhaps somewhat aggressive response.

The redshell software did collect some metrics (but that was stopped, I think) and an overly cautious interpretation of the EULA did the rest. It's easy to panic if you realize information is collected, but it's also good to realize that:

• Some information is necessary to do business with you as a customer. For instance, payment information*
• Some information is required to serve you better as a customer. Your email address for instance - how else can Squad contact you?
• Some metrics are indeed for marketing purposes, but that doesn't mean they're traded with third parties. What's the age composition of customers? Gender? How often do they play? Not only is this often collected on an anonymous basis (maybe an IP address to crossref 'age" vs "gender" for instance), it's not uncommon to store it anonymized - if only to reduce the problems that arise if that information is leaked
• While there are cases where companies sell their customer data to third party, it's really bad business that generates a lot of negative publicity. Especially for smaller vendors (as KSP still is) with relative small data sets, it's simply not worth it to sell the data.

* A classic case is the backlash Flickr received when their EULA revealed some language around copyrights. How dare Flickr claim the copyright of my pictures! What it really said was that you gave Flickr the right to reproduce images of which you owned the copyright on their site - without it, they wouldn't be able to show your photos online (which is the whole point of uploading pictures to it).

In short: much of the information on that webpage is not correct. Some of the references are, giving credit to the other claims, but on the whole:

• KSP is not spyware (spyware being software that under false pretences harvests your computer for data and "phones home"). The only malicious part is the number of hours we waste playing it!
• Some information is gathered, but not nearly as much as is listed
• Most of the "marketing gathering" was done by redshell and I think that's no longer used

 

[Ruedii]

I really think the privacy section of the EULA does need to be updated with details under what they use each type of information for. 

It also needs to be clarified that it's the EULA for ALL services by 2K.

It also needs to be clear that the information given is in a Non-Exclusive Unlimited license to 2K to utilize in purposes relating to the games and services you wish to use.

Then add a second section for anonymous analytics with what information is stored there separately.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Ruedii
Moar detail

[Ruedii]

If they could (I know it is added lawyer expense) they should make a specific EULA for each game and service, and give the user the choice of agreeing to the 2K EULA or each individual EULA.   Generally most people would rather do the former, for simplicity.

The game or service EULA should be based on an option selection of boilerplate clauses based on what types of games or services you are using.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Ruedii
clarity

[T-20000]

Why peoples say KSP is a spyware?

Edited November 18, 2020 by T-20000

[Corona688]

It's a legal CYA for anything and everything you might publicly expose to the internet using Steam or the forums.  It's not collecting it.  Someone read too much into the terms of service and descended into paranoid lunacy.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Corona688

[Popestar]

My guess is it's easier to bash KSP for being hard than it is to actually play and learn.

[Angelo Kerman]

@T-20000 Merged your thread with this one as they're related.

[vv3k70r]

On 7/24/2020 at 10:09 AM, MikeZDB said:

and you are make questions about worried in KSP?

They wanna steal my blueprints of awesomish rockets!

They already kidnaped Werhner and keep him on Kerbin! In KSP2 Scott is kidnaped! Nobody is safe! Run for Your caves!

They gonna kidnap You, set at the top of booster and ignite!

On 7/24/2020 at 8:32 PM, Kerbart said:

What's the age composition of customers? Gender? How often do they play?

But kids cant buy games on their own so it is registred to parents, so how they gonna know anyway whos actually playin'?

3 hours ago, Popestar said:

My guess is it's easier to bash KSP for being hard than it is to actually play and learn.

Only hard thing in the KSP is the ground itself. But it is easy in game. It is great tool to teach children basics about forces and vectors as well as planing and executing acording to plan.

Edited November 18, 2020 by vv3k70r

[kerbiloid]

What if some space agency is using KSP to design real rockets and space flights?
Or planes?
Or rovers?

We have seen a lot of examples of that.

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by kerbiloid

[T-20000]

12 hours ago, Popestar said:

My guess is it's easier to bash KSP for being hard than it is to actually play and learn.

yup

[Kerbart]

13 hours ago, vv3k70r said:

But kids cant buy games on their own so it is registred to parents, so how they gonna know anyway whos actually playin'?

Doh! By looking at the camera to see who's in front of the screen. And those 5G chips they're implanting through covid-19 vaccines, of course!

[kerbiloid]

Also a cat can suddenly enter the password by walking and waste your protection efforts.

[Maple Kerman]

No, KSP is not "spyware", at least not in the typical sense. It just sends some gameplay information back to Squad, which is something that 90% of games probably already do anyway.

Don't like it? Use your computer offline. Still want to have internet access? Use a firewall. It's that simple.

This collection of gameplay data is not new, and it's definitely not malicious. So there's no real reason to get worried over something like this.

KSP is a spaceflight simulator game, not a social media website. 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Maple Kerman

[Kernel Kraken]

Oh man, this debate is still going? I severely doubt KSP has any form of spyware. If you think there is, just play the game offline. There's no reason for this debate to keep going.

[Maple Kerman]

@Kernel KrakenExactly.

[kerbiloid]

KSP is seeing what you hide from your mom...