I'm not sure why we can't have something simple. Why not pop up a little dialogue box that says, "Hey, we're collecting X information in order to improve the game play experience. Is that OK?" Write it in clear language, make it short, and allow me to say no if it's not OK. Don't obfuscate what's being collected, who's collecting it, or why it's being collected.
If you can get a team of lawyers to agree to NOT use legalese then you will be the most powerful person on the planet. Legal disclaimers are written in such a way as to cover and protect the company in all ways conceivable at that moment, while leaving them enough wiggle room so they can't be sued if their practice 'seems' to go beyond what was intended. Its not a practice I like or condone, but it is reality. You want to change that? Stop giving them money.
Are you suggesting that the only options are collect no data or collect all the data? That's absolutely absurd.
I am not suggesting that at all! I am only pointing out that everything we do on the net is recorded somehow, someplace. No matter what a company promises it can and will do with that information, or parts of it, it is important we are ALL aware the info is out there if someone wants it.
Open source software is verifiable. Allowing me to see the data before it's transmitted would help. Telling me where the data is going so that I can verify it on my network would help.
I have no problem with that. I have no problem with whatever terms two parties can agree upon and stick to when entering into a contract. And if they don't agree to this, are you willing to give up your right to use their product?
Rather, I'm spelling out what a company should do. They should allow me to say no. This isn't a radical idea. For example, Minecraft allows me to turn off data collection.
Don't get stuck on what they should do, but be aware of what they will do when they see its in their best interest. If Minecraft allows you to turn off data collecting, and thats important to you, then stick to Minecraft. Certainly Minecraft has every right to give you that option if they wish and it would be nice if Firaxis offered the same option. But since Firaxis does not currently offer that option, what will you do?
Nonsense. There are numerous steps that you can take to limit the data collected about you and from your machines. Surrendering everything without a second thought is the worst possible idea.
Oh yes, there are some things we can do. I, personally, won't transmit any personal messages to loved ones via email or text. I *hope* that the sites I use to pay bills or buy product are as secure as they claim (though it seems they all get hacked sooner or later). I always click "NO" if I am actually asked permission to collect any data on me unless it otherwise inhibits my access to the service I am looking for, but I am not really sure it matters.
In 1980 I got my first credit card...a Sears credit card. Part of the agreement was a disclaimer that they *may* use or sell my name to "market researchers". I paid no mind at the time, but I noticed my credit card somehow came out with a middle initial that is NOT part of my name. For some strange reason, Sears was never able to remove that initial. The interesting part? To this very day I receive snail mail and email from all sorts of places trying to sell me stuff that are addressed to that same erroneous name. Obviously, the practice has been in place for a generation now and is not going anywhere. The only real difference now is the exponentially increased volume of information as well as the efficiency of collecting and processing.
I do believe it would have been more proper if Firaxis had actually made clear notification that Red Shell was there suddenly, but the truth is, I always assumed such an exercise was already in place. I do sometimes find it unsettling just how deep all of this internet stuff goes. Its certainly not my ideal world. Yet, I continue to make use of it. It serves me more than it hurts me (so far). But I always remain aware that everything I do - every stroke of the keyboard - is a bit of recorded code somewhere that someone can look into.
Heck, just look at what happens with Steam and Civilization! Steam knows every minute of every hour that I play the game. More than that, they know everything about each and every game I play. Which leader I chose, what difficulty, how long the game lasted, etc. Amazon tracks ever purchase I make so it can better target advertising to me. AT&T knows each site I access via phone and AOL knows every time I use my phone to check email. (Yes, I am old and still use AOL). Netflix and Comcast know everything about my viewing tastes and schedule and send me messages accordingly.
Welcome to the Information Age!
