NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — With the booming video game industry, the online gaming sector is attracting the attention of researchers and gamers. It is a dynamic and rapidly growing field, providing millions of players around the world with a unique opportunity to interact digitally.
However, there is a dark side to this industry, as reported in a study conducted by researchers at Aalto University.
In 2020, the global gaming market generated more than $150 billion in revenue, and online gaming made a significant contribution to this figure.
However, a study published in the Proceedings of the ACM journal on Human-Computer Interaction reveals important aspects related to questionable data collection practices in the field.
Online gaming platforms regularly require users to create accounts, including personal information such as email addresses, usernames, and sometimes even payment information.
Moreover, these platforms actively collect a variety of user information, including game session statistics, in-game activity, chat content, and other data that can reveal players’ personal preferences and behavior.
Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Professor Janne Lindqvist at Aalto, notes that their research made it possible to find out what methods are used to collect data in online games and what risks are associated with this.
“It was surprising to us how naive the gamers’ thoughts were. For example, participants stated that to protect their privacy, they would avoid using voice chat in games unless absolutely necessary. Our analysis of games found that some games try to encourage people to reveal their online identities, for example by offering virtual rewards.”
The study also found examples of “dark design” and interface options that can trick users into doing things they otherwise wouldn’t.
This includes connecting social media profiles and sharing player information with third parties without sufficient knowledge and consent of the players.
An important finding of the study is the lack of awareness among players that their chat discussions may be accessible to third parties, as well as the lack of transparent privacy policies on the part of gaming platforms.
The researchers conclude that online gaming platforms need to improve their privacy policies and make them clearer and more accessible to all users.
Players’ consent to the collection and processing of their data must be obtained clearly and unambiguously, and gaming companies must provide more transparent information about how collected data is used and with whom it is shared.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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