Steam: Difference between revisions

anti cheat spyware info
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|incidents_1_date=Sep. 2024
|incidents_1_date=Sep. 2024
|incidents_1_text=<!-- NOTICE: This is somewhat 'pro-Steam' for incidents intended to highlight things consumers should watch out for. If you feel the need, you may remove this incident. However, please don't replace it with the Wolfire Games class action (Valve won that case). It will take more work and citations to put a substantial incident here than some other services/companies. -->
|incidents_1_text=<!-- NOTICE: This is somewhat 'pro-Steam' for incidents intended to highlight things consumers should watch out for. If you feel the need, you may remove this incident. However, please don't replace it with the Wolfire Games class action (Valve won that case). It will take more work and citations to put a substantial incident here than some other services/companies. -->
In September 2024, Steam implemented significant changes to its subscriber agreement that altered user rights and game ownership terms. Additionally, it removed [[Forced Arbitration|forced arbitration]] from the Steam Subscriber Agreement.<ref>Carpenter, Nicole (September 27, 2024). [https://www.polygon.com/explained/457557/valve-arbitration-steam-subscriber-agreements "Valve removes arbitration from its Steam agreements — here's what that means for you"]. ''Polygon''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref><ref>Rossmann, Louis (September 27, 2024). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f81qXxggo8 "Steam altered the terms of the sale; you'll be happy they altered it further!"] ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref> Key changes included:
{{Main|Valve removes arbitration requirement from Steam Subscriber Agreement}}
In September 2024, Steam implemented significant changes to its subscriber agreement that altered user rights and game-ownership terms. Additionally, it removed [[Forced Arbitration|forced arbitration]] from the Steam Subscriber Agreement.<ref>Carpenter, Nicole (September 27, 2024). [https://www.polygon.com/explained/457557/valve-arbitration-steam-subscriber-agreements "Valve removes arbitration from its Steam agreements — here's what that means for you"]. ''Polygon''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref><ref>Rossmann, Louis (September 27, 2024). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f81qXxggo8 "Steam altered the terms of the sale; you'll be happy they altered it further!"] ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref> Key changes included:
*Enhanced ability to terminate accounts for violations
*Enhanced ability to terminate accounts for violations
*Additional data collection and sharing provisions
*Additional data collection and sharing provisions
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At the time of disclosure, Valve stated they had no evidence that the encrypted credit-card numbers or personally identifying information had been taken, nor was there evidence that the encryption on the credit-card numbers or passwords had been cracked. Nevertheless, they advised users to closely monitor their credit-card activity and statements as a precautionary measure.
At the time of disclosure, Valve stated they had no evidence that the encrypted credit-card numbers or personally identifying information had been taken, nor was there evidence that the encryption on the credit-card numbers or passwords had been cracked. Nevertheless, they advised users to closely monitor their credit-card activity and statements as a precautionary measure.
|incidents_3_title=Antitrust ruling: Geo-blocking
|incidents_3_date=Jan. 2021
|incidents_3_text=On January 20, 2021, the European Commission fined Valve, owner of Steam, €1.6 million for breaching EU antitrust rules by engaging in geo-blocking practices through Steam within the European Economic Area (‘EEA'). Five PC video game publishers have also been fined for engaging with Valve through Steam in geo-blocking practices by "requesting Valve to set up geographical restrictions and to provide geo-blocked Steam activation keys"(EU Commission, 2021). The fines for the publishers was reduced due to the cooperation of the five publishers with the Commision. Valve did not cooperate with the Commission.<ref>Antitrust: Commission fines Valve and five publishers of PC video games € 7.8 million for “geo-blocking” practices. (2021, Jan, 20). ec.europa.eu. Retrieved May 26, 2025, from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_170</ref>
}}
}}


== <span>Anti-cheat software</span> ==
== References ==
Due to the nature of how anti-cheat software functions, it's not disclosed which information may be accessed.
{{reflist}}
*Any programs running on the users device may be downloaded by the company.<ref name="tcook">{{cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/steamed-valve-software-battles-videogame-cheaters|title=Steamed: Valve Software Battles Video-game Cheaters|date=February 17, 2010|first=David |last=Kushner |website=IEEE Spectrum| publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}}</ref>
*In 2014, users discovered the software was accessing the local DNS cache, raising concerns the company was snooping on their internet history.<ref name="gabetrust">{{Cite web |last=Newell |first=Gabe |date=2014-02-17 |title=Valve, VAC, and trust |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1y70ej/valve_vac_and_trust/ |publisher=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Warr |first=Philippa |date=February 18, 2014 |title=Valve couldn't care less what porn you watch (Wired UK) |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-02/18/valve-anti-cheat |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508174936/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-02/18/valve-anti-cheat |archive-date=May 8, 2014 |website=Wired.co.uk |publisher=Condé Nast Publications |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Scullion |first=Chris |date=February 18, 2014 |title=Valve rejects claims it receives players' browsing history |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/450001/valve-rejects-claims-it-receives-players-browsing-history/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305100503/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/450001/valve-rejects-claims-it-receives-players-browsing-history/ |archive-date=March 5, 2014 |website=Computerandvideogames.com |publisher=Future Publishing}}</ref>
 
==References==
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[[Category:Services]]
[[Category:Services]]
[[Category:Valve Corporation]]
[[Category:Valve Corporation]]