Privacy Issues : Detection of Non-Steam Software while Steam is online

[<™[-=> Cookiez <=-]™>]

Hi,

I just noticed Steam being able to detect the Titanfall : Beta which is on Origin. This game is not launched from Steam.

If Steam is able to read all the software e.g. Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer that are being used on your computer while it is running, is it not an invasion of your privacy?

It would be most helpful is a Steam developer could clarify this issue.

Thank you.

http://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/

Edit:
For the developer : What other non-Steam associated software can Steam have access to? Can we please have an official statement? I almost believed forum assumptions.

[Ank]

I don't really know what's in your head, if you seeing your friends playing Titanfall or any non-Steam games on their profile, it's because they add the shortcuts into Steam, or maybe Titanfall will use Steamworks (not gonna happen I think, just my dream), of course Steam will detect it. There is no privacy issue here, there are many people that have been on Steam for at least 10 years and I haven't seen them complaining what you just said. Steam is indeed are allowed to read some software on your computers, we agreed that when we start using Steam. Want me to give an example to you, I could play Mass Effect 3 or Battlefield 3 with Steam detecting that I'm inside those games. You can even let Steam detect that you're using Google Chrome if you add the shortcuts into Steam library, there is an option for that. Please be clear about what you said, also a screenshots would help.

[Marble]

Silicon Vampire님이 먼저 게시:

It's possible Steam can "see' it because it might also become available on Steam. I do not know this at all, just speculation.

I've never heard of Steam recognising a game that it didn't download itself.

I've been playing Titanfall beta, it certainly doesn't show up as me playing it on Steam. Even if I add it to my library as a shortcut and launch it through Steam it doesn't work.

Again, you need to post a screenshot of what the issue is.

[<™[-=> Cookiez <=-]™>]

Ank™님이 먼저 게시:

I don't really know what's in your head, if you seeing your friends playing Titanfall or any non-Steam games on their profile, it's because they add the shortcuts into Steam, or maybe Titanfall will use Steamworks (not gonna happen I think, just my dream), of course Steam will detect it. There is no privacy issue here, there are many people that have been on Steam for at least 10 years and I haven't seen them complaining what you just said. Steam is indeed are allowed to read some software on your computers, we agreed that when we start using Steam. Want me to give an example to you, I could play Mass Effect 3 or Battlefield 3 with Steam detecting that I'm inside those games. You can even let Steam detect that you're using Google Chrome if you add the shortcuts into Steam library, there is an option for that. Please be clear about what you said, also a screenshots would help.

Canti님이 먼저 게시:

Silicon Vampire님이 먼저 게시:

It's possible Steam can "see' it because it might also become available on Steam. I do not know this at all, just speculation.

I've never heard of Steam recognising a game that it didn't download itself.

I've been playing Titanfall beta, it certainly doesn't show up as me playing it on Steam. Even if I add it to my library as a shortcut and launch it through Steam it doesn't work.

Again, you need to post a screenshot of what the issue is.

Canti님이 먼저 게시:

Silicon Vampire님이 먼저 게시:

It's possible Steam can "see' it because it might also become available on Steam. I do not know this at all, just speculation.

I've never heard of Steam recognising a game that it didn't download itself.

I've been playing Titanfall beta, it certainly doesn't show up as me playing it on Steam. Even if I add it to my library as a shortcut and launch it through Steam it doesn't work.

Again, you need to post a screenshot of what the issue is.

Ank™님이 먼저 게시:

I don't really know what's in your head, if you seeing your friends playing Titanfall or any non-Steam games on their profile, it's because they add the shortcuts into Steam, or maybe Titanfall will use Steamworks (not gonna happen I think, just my dream), of course Steam will detect it. There is no privacy issue here, there are many people that have been on Steam for at least 10 years and I haven't seen them complaining what you just said. Steam is indeed are allowed to read some software on your computers, we agreed that when we start using Steam. Want me to give an example to you, I could play Mass Effect 3 or Battlefield 3 with Steam detecting that I'm inside those games. You can even let Steam detect that you're using Google Chrome if you add the shortcuts into Steam library, there is an option for that. Please be clear about what you said, also a screenshots would help.

Thank you for telling me this. Where do I opt-out of letting Steam know I use Google Chrome and other non-Steam software? You have not heard of a complaint? This is your first one.

[spoof]

get linux maybe?

[ KARR™]

Titanfall uses the Source Engine that Valve developed.

It's more than likely that therefore Steam can tell that you are in it.

HOWEVER, unless you somehow link it to your account, there's no way for it to know that a certain PERSON is in it. It can't be IP based as that means anyone else in the house would have it showing as "in game: Titanfall" too.

So if it shows then it's probably a "is the current user logged into Steam, then show as "in game". If this is the case, then it's the GAME sending the 'in-game' information to Steam, not Steam reading it.

Stop your paranoia.

[Bonecco]

tanks boy !!

[<™[-=> Cookiez <=-]™>]

Ank™님이 먼저 게시:

I don't really know what's in your head, if you seeing your friends playing Titanfall or any non-Steam games on their profile, it's because they add the shortcuts into Steam, or maybe Titanfall will use Steamworks (not gonna happen I think, just my dream), of course Steam will detect it. There is no privacy issue here, there are many people that have been on Steam for at least 10 years and I haven't seen them complaining what you just said. Steam is indeed are allowed to read some software on your computers, we agreed that when we start using Steam. Want me to give an example to you, I could play Mass Effect 3 or Battlefield 3 with Steam detecting that I'm inside those games. You can even let Steam detect that you're using Google Chrome if you add the shortcuts into Steam library, there is an option for that. Please be clear about what you said, also a screenshots would help.

Read Canti's response. It's totally different. Those games that Steam downloaded not my issue. My issue is with Steam detecting non-Steam software. I've given you the example with Titanfall and the steps to note where it is.

[Bonecco]

oh boy help !!

[spoof]

and nobody that tried the steps is reporting what you see.

[<™[-=> Cookiez <=-]™>]

KARR님이 먼저 게시:

Titanfall uses the Source Engine that Valve developed.

It's more than likely that therefore Steam can tell that you are in it.

HOWEVER, unless you somehow link it to your account, there's no way for it to know that a certain PERSON is in it. It can't be IP based as that means anyone else in the house would have it showing as "in game: Titanfall" too.

So if it shows then it's probably a "is the current user logged into Steam, then show as "in game". If this is the case, then it's the GAME sending the 'in-game' information to Steam, not Steam reading it.

Stop your paranoia.

Ok. So Steam now gets data from games created from the Source Engine? How do I opt-out of this? It sounds worse the more I read. Originally, it was just me trying to stop Steam from reading Titanfall (and any other non-Steam associated software). Now you are telling me the games give out even more data? What other software gives data to Steam?

[ KARR™]

<™-=> Cookiez <=-™>님이 먼저 게시:

Ok. So Steam now gets data from games created from the Source Engine? How do I opt-out of this? It sounds worse the more I read. Originally, it was just me trying to stop Steam from reading Titanfall (and any other non-Steam associated software). Now you are telling me the games give out even more data? What other software gives data to Steam?

No, its an assumption as i said.

As no-one else has the issue that you have, we have to assume that you have therefore added it as a non-steam game and that is why it is doing so, you won't show a screenshot and your account shows you as in Dota2.

You're going to be terrified when you realise that the games you are playing in are tracked too by various web sites. (Eg: http://dotabuff.com/players/38189809 , http://l4d.e-clubmalaysia.com/hlstats.php?mode=playerinfo&player=80676 )

[Marble]

<™-=> Cookiez <=-™>님이 먼저 게시:

Ok. So Steam now gets data from games created from the Source Engine? How do I opt-out of this? It sounds worse the more I read. Originally, it was just me trying to stop Steam from reading Titanfall (and any other non-Steam associated software). Now you are telling me the games give out even more data? What other software gives data to Steam?

Reading Titanfall, how exactly? You still haven't properly explained what you are seeing. Steam can see all your installed software, this information is not private to applications running on your local machine. Windows presents a list of installed software to any process that requests it.

What you are originally saying is that other people can see you are playing Titanfall, this is not something that happens and thus we are still asking for a screenshot.

[<™[-=> Cookiez <=-]™>]

KARR님이 먼저 게시:

<™-=> Cookiez <=-™>님이 먼저 게시:

Ok. So Steam now gets data from games created from the Source Engine? How do I opt-out of this? It sounds worse the more I read. Originally, it was just me trying to stop Steam from reading Titanfall (and any other non-Steam associated software). Now you are telling me the games give out even more data? What other software gives data to Steam?

No, its an assumption as i said.

As no-one else has the issue that you have, we have to assume that you have therefore added it as a non-steam game and that is why it is doing so, you won't show a screenshot and your account shows you as in Dota2.

You're going to be terrified when you realise that all the games you are playing in Dota2 are tracked too by various web sites. (Eg: http://dotabuff.com/players/38189809 )

Ok. Tell me how to opt-out? Please don't give me assumptions. For DOTA2 fine, all my stats are available. It's Steam, I know it's there. But I am not okay with Steam accessing other software NOT on their platform.

Please do not give me assumptions.

[Seven7]

and no one thought about the interface Windows Management Interface WMI, which allows Microsoft or the NSA or attackers to remotely scan your computer (if the owner has not taken special actions) and get a lot more data from the computer, than it does Steam (which asks permission from the user and anonymizes data)

[<™[-=> Cookiez <=-]™>]

Seven7님이 먼저 게시:

and no one thought about the interface Windows Management Interface WMI, which allows Microsoft or the NSA or attackers to remotely scan your computer (if the owner has not taken special actions) and get a lot more data from the computer, than it does Steam (which asks permission from the user and anonymizes data)

Ok. We'll get to that later. Please focus on Steam here.