Does KSP really have spyware in it?

[DoctorDavinci]

So in a few other discussion groups around the net there are whispers that the latest release of KSP is sending data back to SQUAD/T2 without advising the user that this is the case

My question is if this is true ... Does KSP v1.4 have Spyware?

Perhaps we could get a solid answer on this @SQUAD @Darth Badie @UomoCapra

[Zeiss Ikon]

Seems to me the EULA I read just a couple days ago constituted all the warning anyone should need that the game may send data that's not personally identifiable back to the publisher.

Then again, if you live in today's world and there's anything you expect not to do that, you may want to reassess your expectations.

[LawnDartLeo]

Hoping that the data brings them to the conclusion that people have varied expectations of the game and that mods drive the success of the whole thing.

[DoctorDavinci]

7 minutes ago, Zeiss Ikon said:

Seems to me the EULA I read just a couple days ago constituted all the warning anyone should need that the game may send data that's not personally identifiable back to the publisher.

Then again, if you live in today's world and there's anything you expect not to do that, you may want to reassess your expectations.

How is this about me and my expectations?

I'm asking for clarification if this is actually the case ... what I believe, know or expect has nothing to do with the purpose of this thread

Please keep your suggestions as to what you think of my expectations to yourself as I am not interested in a peanut gallery commenting on them nor does your opinion matter in this case

[MaxwellsDemon]

If you don't want public comment, don't post in a public space.  

[DoctorDavinci]

7 minutes ago, MaxwellsDemon said:

If you don't want public comment, don't post in a public space.  

So your saying that asking for clarification on something specific means that I leave myself open to having my expectations being the subject of the question when that was not even part of the question?

Nice redirect ... I regret to inform you that it sounds a bit intellectually disingenuous

I also regret to inform you that your opinion doesn't matter either, neither does mine ... what matters is if we get a straight up answer to the question at hand

[MaxwellsDemon]

Ooooookay...   

[NoMrBond]

Posted earlier by UomoCapra

Quote

There appears to be an issue where the Vehicle Physics Pro plugin is being flagged as a potential threat by antivirus software for some users. This plugin has been part of KSP for many versions and we are investigating what has changed. We will provide updates as we learn more. Thank you

 

[DoctorDavinci]

 

1 hour ago, NoMrBond said:

Posted earlier by UomoCapra

There appears to be an issue where the Vehicle Physics Pro plugin is being flagged as a potential threat by antivirus software for some users. This plugin has been part of KSP for many versions and we are investigating what has changed. We will provide updates as we learn more. Thank you

This is not what I am talking about ... What I am referring to is the actual data that is being sent to Squad/T2, not if an antivirus detects anything

[MaxwellsDemon]

If you really want to get an answer without public comment, you could contact SQUAD/TakeTwo directly, you know.

Posting publicly in this manner really suggests to me that you are either trying to draw attention, make waves, or do something else, rather than your ostensible purpose of obtaining information.   It's not enough for you to ask the question-- you want to be seen to be asking the question, evidently.   At least, that's how I read it.

[Kerbart]

Spyware? No.

Collecting userdata? Probably. But that's not spyware. Spyware is collecting keywords, and passwords, and what you're emailing and to who. Am I certain? No. But I really, really, really doubt that Squad or T2 would ever do that. The risk involved with that would just be unacceptable.

[razark]

40 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

My question is if this is true ... Does KSP v1.4 have Spyware?

If it does, would you really expect those responsible for putting it there to be honest and tell you it does?

[DoctorDavinci]

9 minutes ago, MaxwellsDemon said:

If you really want to get an answer without public comment, you could contact SQUAD/TakeTwo directly, you know.

Posting publicly in this manner really suggests to me that you are either trying to draw attention, make waves, or do something else, rather than your ostensible purpose of obtaining information.   It's not enough for you to ask the question-- you want to be seen to be asking the question, evidently.   At least, that's how I read it.

Why should I not ask it publicly?

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, razark said:

If it does, would you really expect those responsible for putting it there to be honest and tell you it does?

Actually no, but at least the question is out there now as it seems nobody else wanted to ask it

 

8 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

Spyware? No.

Collecting userdata? Probably. But that's not spyware. Spyware is collecting keywords, and passwords, and what you're emailing and to who. Am I certain? No. But I really, really, really doubt that Squad or T2 would ever do that. The risk involved with that would just be unacceptable.

I hope that this is not the case either, but the question needs to be asked

[Mr. Peabody]

This is slightly worrying since if my anti-virus does detect something it will likely delete my entire game.

[Kerbart]

Just now, DoctorDavinci said:

Why should I not ask it publicly?

Because

Just now, DoctorDavinci said:

Please keep your suggestions as to what you think of my expectations to yourself as I am not interested in a peanut gallery commenting on them nor does your opinion matter in this case

Just now, The Dunatian said:

This is slightly worrying since if my anti-virus does detect something it will likely delete my entire game.

One wonders how you're posting this if your antivirus software has deleted all browser software from your computer?

[DoctorDavinci]

8 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

Because

10 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

Please keep your suggestions as to what you think of my expectations to yourself as I am not interested in a peanut gallery commenting on them nor does your opinion matter in this case

You cut out the part where I said my opinion doesn't matter either ... all that matters is we get an answer to the question

Edited March 9, 2018 by DoctorDavinci

[Mr. Peabody]

2 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

One wonders how you're posting this if your antivirus software has deleted all browser software from your computer?

Because it treats an application differently from a browser.

[THX-1138]

Hello @DoctorDavinci,  You are not the only one concerned.  Unlike many here, I took the time to review the TOS and Privacy Policy from Take2 (new owner of KSP) and they state the following:
 

Quote

WHAT PERSONAL AND OTHER INFORMATION DOES THE COMPANY COLLECT?

The types of information collected in connection with the activities listed above will vary depending on the activity. The information we collect may include personal information such as your first and/or last name, e-mail address, phone number, photo, mailing address, geolocation, or payment information. In addition, we may collect your age, gender, date of birth, zip code, hardware configuration, console ID, software products played, survey data, purchases, IP address and the systems you have played on. We may combine the information with your personal information and across other computers or devices that you may use.

Quote

WHAT GAMEPLAY INFORMATION DOES THE COMPANY COLLECT?

When you use products or services on internet-capable hardware, the Company may receive information regarding your gameplay without any additional notice to you or actions taken by you. The Company will not receive personal information such as your name and address, but may receive other information such as a console ID, gaming service ID, game achievements, game scores and performance, IP address, MAC address, or other device ID, other console/device use information, or other information and statistics regarding your usage of the games. Information about gameplay may be collected while you are offline and transmitted to the Company when you next connect to the Internet whether or not you are currently logged into your Internet Connection from your console, handheld, mobile device, computer, or other gaming platform. The Company may combine the information with your personal information and use such information as set forth in this Privacy Policy whether or not you register for or use the Online Services. The Company may also monitor gameplay information by automated means to ensure that software and services are used in accordance with applicable policies, including the Terms of Service and the End User License agreement. The Company reserves the right to terminate your license if you violate these policies.

 

So indeed, Take2 does collect information about you, your device and game play.  A group of people do not mind since they are already "Huxley Slaves", if you do mind then there are a few options:

1- Do not update to the latest version

2- Block KSP from transmitting out any data from your device by using firewall rules

3- Install and play the latest KSP on a device that will never connect to the WEB

3- Submit a complaint to Take2:

Quote

HOW DO I ASK A QUESTION OR FILE A COMPLAINT?

For all questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy, contact our Privacy Policy Administrator at 646-536-2842; via email at [email protected]; or, by regular mail at Take-Two Interactive, Attn: Internet Privacy Policy Administrator, 622 Broadway, New York, New York 10012. If you are a Rockstar Games Online Services user located in the European Union, please indicate that in your email, letter, or phone call; you may also have the right to complain to an EU data protection authority. 

I hope that helps.

Edited March 9, 2018 by THX-1138

[Zeiss Ikon]

To clarify, I was using the "generic you" in my original reply (first reply in this thread).  Not speaking to @DoctorDavinci specifically, just "you" as in "all of you."

Unless you've managed to avoid seeing a news headline in the past, oh, six or seven years, you must surely know that your TV, phone, and possibly your household appliances (refrigerators, microwaves, maybe even toasters) are capable of spying on you.  Are you really so concerned about a game?

If there's anything in KSP that qualifies as malware, it'll pretty shortly show up in whatever scanner you choose to use.  Fairly probably, it will, even if there's not (because malware scanners have been producing false positives since at least the early 1990s -- before the word "malware" was in common use).

And give the responses from someone obviously partly intending to break stereotype (a confrontational, marginally rude Canadian?!), I'm done with this thread.

[DoctorDavinci]

@THX-1138 - Thank you for the clarification ... And congratulations on being the first response here that actually gave an answer to the question

It only took 19 reply's to get an actual answer

[Starman4308]

4 minutes ago, THX-1138 said:

So indeed, Take2 does collect information about you, your device and game play.  A group of people do not mind since they are already "Huxley Slaves", if you do mind then there are a few options:

Nowhere does it state that they do collect such information, merely that they may. This is, as per usual, bog-standard boilerplate designed to handle every conceivable issue that might arise. It is not an admission that they are doing it.

Just now, DoctorDavinci said:

@THX-1138 - Thank you for the clarification ... And congratulations on being the first response here that actually gave an answer to the question

It only took 19 reply's to get an actual answer

That... still wasn't an answer to your question, since there is no confirmation that they are actually exercising that part of the license.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Starman4308

[linuxgurugamer]

When you first start KSP, you get asked a question about sending info back to Squad.  Don't you think that's kind of up front?

[Mr. Peabody]

Just now, linuxgurugamer said:

When you first start KSP, you get asked a question about sending info back to Squad.  Don't you think that's kind of up front?

I didn't with 1.4.0.

[DoctorDavinci]

8 minutes ago, Starman4308 said:

That... still wasn't an answer to your question, since there is no confirmation that they are actually exercising that part of the license.

True, however it is something tangible .. not like most of the other comments in this thread

[NoMrBond]

1 minute ago, DoctorDavinci said:

This is not what I am talking about ... What I am referring to is the actual data that is being sent to Squad/T2, not if an antivirus detects anything

Some people were complaining that this .dll was (the) spyware, oh well.

Otherwise KSP already collected non-specific data (play session time/s, progress and technical info) but you could sort of control the extent (well, pick one of two options). This data would now be available to T2.

Most of the T2 data policy involves data from a T2 account, which is not required for KSP so wouldn't apply in this case.

Just now, DoctorDavinci said:

@THX-1138 - Thank you for the clarification ... And congratulations on being the first response here that actually gave an answer to the question

It only took 19 reply's to get an actual answer

Kinda, the "WHAT PERSONAL AND OTHER INFORMATION DOES THE COMPANY COLLECT?" section is taken from http://www.take2games.com/privacy/ which is specifically for their online services account, and doesn't apply for KSP because you don't sign up for a T2 account to play it.