The responses from the game companies have been absolutely pathetic so far. They amount to "Blah blah blah, bbbbbut marketing!!" No apologies for what they were doing, just "sorry we got caught". No shame at all, and no recognition that they were shipping malware to their customers. Some have promised to remove it but find some other way of using my computer against their users. My computer is not a free resource for your marketing department.
If the software is so benign, offer it to users as totally optional install or a separate download, and see how many agree to that offer.
EDIT: For example, see the official response from the Quake Champions team [1]. Summary: This data vacuum is actually for your own good. That said, we’re busted! So we will remove it for now, and we will tell you about it when we add it later, when everyone chills out.
EDIT2: Wow, so much garbage the further you get through the article:
> [Adam Lieb] expressed his frustration with the response online, which he says painted a false picture of Red Shell as a spyware programme trying to sell data for malicious purposes.
spy·ware
noun
software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.
While they may not be selling the data for malicious purposes, it is, by definition, spyware.
1: https://steamcommunity.com/games/611500/announcements/detail...
If the software is so benign, offer it to users as totally optional install or a separate download, and see how many agree to that offer.
EDIT: For example, see the official response from the Quake Champions team [1]. Summary: This data vacuum is actually for your own good. That said, we’re busted! So we will remove it for now, and we will tell you about it when we add it later, when everyone chills out.
EDIT2: Wow, so much garbage the further you get through the article:
> [Adam Lieb] expressed his frustration with the response online, which he says painted a false picture of Red Shell as a spyware programme trying to sell data for malicious purposes.
spy·ware
noun
software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.
While they may not be selling the data for malicious purposes, it is, by definition, spyware.
1: https://steamcommunity.com/games/611500/announcements/detail...