Why exactly does steam collect your MAC address and Disk serial number???

[bang]

How does valve even have the audacity to collect those things which dont have ANY other purpose except to fingerprint and identify your device because they are unique especially together, this is usually only used software with scummy per machine license schemes.

It doesn't even try to hide this shameless privacy intrusion, it tells you in the "system information" tab and on the hardware survey

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Old discussion...

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/2284960483101575946/

[Watermelon {JESUS IS LORD}]

Originally posted by davidb11:

The MAC address isn't even remotely important.
I'm not sure why you're actually thinking it's a huge deal.

this
meh, not to worry its not a privacy concern when mac addresses are publicly available like an ip

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Cleopatra:

It doesn't even try to hide this shameless privacy intrusion, it tells you in the "system information" tab and on the hardware survey

You want them to hide it?
When they touch the privacy of your hard drive?

It concerns you when you want to see the system information? There are programs that show the mac of whatever has a mac in the pc, or serial numbers. Your phone tells everyone around its mac addresses, shamelessly.
If you want to participate in the hardware survey, you dont want a hardware survey?

[Lone Wolf]

Some that pc info must be used stop lots people shearing same steam a-counts by reading pc speck info when logged in and stop hackers stealing a-counts VAC hardwere bans likes that.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by gunsmoke999:

Some that pc info must be used stop lots people shearing same steam a-counts by reading pc speck info when logged in and stop hackers stealing a-counts VAC hardwere bans likes that.

Valve does not use hardware bans for VAC.

[Mad Scientist]

MAC Address is part of the system information. Frequent changes of this could be used by anticheats to determine who is likely cheating or how spread out unethical software is being used.

Disk serial number is part of the system information. Changes of S/Ns could be used either by anticheats, or to determine disk failure rate or change of HDD (per user) based hardware for statistics ie their Hardware Survey though not included could be helpful for statistics/insight to popular hardware for developers.

Edit: I'd have an issue if it actually tried to collect something personal. I one time had the feds and a company look into the software they were using to gather information, as a new version of it would record your OS key, and as many app keys as possible, which could potentially be used for piracy, so they stopped using it. Steam doesn't collect that data, so we're good.

Also Hardware Survey is clearly optional.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Originally posted by gunsmoke999:

Some that pc info must be used stop lots people shearing same steam a-counts by reading pc speck info when logged in and stop hackers stealing a-counts VAC hardwere bans likes that.

Valve does not use hardware bans for VAC.

:qr:

Nor does it limit on what pc you can run your games.

[Dr. Death]

Im pretty sure anything on your computer that connects to the internet immediatly gets your MAC adress.

[Radene]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Old discussion...

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/2284960483101575946/

:qr:

Ya but it's still not clear "why" this information is relevant to Steam. Especially since they don't do hardware bans.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Radene:

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Old discussion...

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/2284960483101575946/

:qr:

Ya but it's still not clear "why" this information is relevant to Steam. Especially since they don't do hardware bans.

Can be useful when dealing with error reports etc. You may notice that system information dumps are commonly reqested.

Its not like the entire System info gets shunted off to Valve. They only pick out key things. CPUU, Storage capacity, Nuumber of HDDs ram, gpu, etc

[Radene]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Can be useful when dealing with error reports etc. You may notice that system information dumps are commonly reqested.

Its not like the entire System info gets shunted off to Valve. They only pick out key things. CPUU, Storage capacity, Nuumber of HDDs ram, gpu, etc

If you own Steam hardware, the MAC address of your Steam devices may be relevant to Valve as the manufacturer/vendor in case you open a ticket pertaining that specific device and its communication with whatever network you wired it into.

Otherwise, no it is not.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Radene:

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Can be useful when dealing with error reports etc. You may notice that system information dumps are commonly reqested.

Its not like the entire System info gets shunted off to Valve. They only pick out key things. CPUU, Storage capacity, Nuumber of HDDs ram, gpu, etc

If you own Steam hardware, the MAC address of your Steam devices may be relevant to Valve

They wouldn't need to usethe system informattion to tie your account to the MAC address.

as the manufacturer/vendor in case you open a ticket pertaining that specific device and its communication with whatever network you wired it into.

Otherwise, no it is not.

And you're convinced that Valve is actually collecting these MAC addresses?