What Games Collect Information?

Many popular online games collect a significant amount of personal data, including location data, fitness data, and payment information, with games like Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and Pokémon GO being identified as some of the worst offenders. The collection of this data is often used to create targeted advertisements and can be sold to third-party advertisers, raising concerns about player privacy and data protection.

Understanding Game Data Collection

Types of Collected Data

Games can collect a wide range of data, including player account profiles, game logs, events, advertisements, and player interactions, which can be used to improve the gaming experience, but also to track player behavior and sell personalized ads.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do games collect data?: Yes, modern games capture a variety of data, including player account profiles, game logs, events, advertisements, and player interactions.
2. Do online games collect data?: Yes, online games can collect data, and a study by Aalto University’s Department of Computer Science reveals potentially questionable data collection practices in online games.
3. Why do games collect data?: Games collect data to create an online account, which often requires personal information such as name, mailing address, email address, and date of birth.
4. Does Roblox collect data?: Yes, Roblox collects data, including personal information, when users access certain features that require the use of their camera or upload content containing personal information.
5. Should I let my kid play Roblox?: While Roblox can be a fun and interactive game, parents should be aware of the risks, including harassment and exploitation by predators.
6. Does Roblox save your info?: Roblox uses secure commercial-grade encryption for transactions and only stores partial billing information for verification purposes.
7. What does deleting game data do?: Deleting game data can delete in-game achievements or progress, depending on how the developer has built the game.
8. Do games use memory?: Yes, games use RAM (Random Access Memory), which is essential for a smooth gaming experience.
9. Does playing games on your phone use a lot of data?: Yes, playing online games on your phone can use a significant amount of data, ranging from 10MB to over 100MB per hour.
10. What are the risks of online gaming?: The risks of online gaming include cyberbullying, inappropriate content, account takeovers, malware, identity theft, and excessive in-game spending.
11. Do Steam games collect data?: Yes, Steam collects personal data when users provide it explicitly or send it as part of communication with others on Steam.
12. What is the common security threat in online gaming?: Common security threats in online gaming include account takeovers, cheating mods, credit card theft, and fraud.
13. What games don’t use much data?: Games like Pixel Dungeons, Plague Inc, and Geometry Dash use relatively little data, making them a good option for players with limited data plans.
14. Which game has the most data?: Games like Fortnite, DOTA 2, and Overwatch use around 100MB per hour, while games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Destiny 2 use even more, up to 300MB per hour.
15. Does uninstalling a game delete all data?: Uninstalling a game does not always delete all data, as some games may leave behind cache files or configuration files that require manual deletion.