Once Human has recently faced scrutiny over its privacy policy. The whole situation began when players misinterpreted the policy, believing that the game demanded personal information such as government-issued IDs.
But a closer look reveals that the data collection practices aren’t as invasive as they first seemed, with requirements primarily driven by local laws. This fan feedback has even gotten the resident game dev and security person on the internet to talk about it.
Gamers Have Jumped the Gun Once Again With This Once Human Controversy
The controversy began when Once Human‘s terms of service were scrutinized for allegedly demanding excessive personal data, including government-issued IDs. This alarmed many players, leading to a flood of negative reviews on Steam.
Jason “Thor” Hall from Pirate Software, who is also a former World of Warcraft security expert, clarified that the game’s policy only requires personal information when mandated by local laws, such as for age verification.
Despite this, the initial backlash had a significant impact on Once Human‘s reception. The game’s Steam rating dropped to ‘Mixed‘ even though it had a successful beta with fans awaiting the full release. In an industry where devs regularly make mistakes, let’s not raise our pitchforks for the wrong things.
Nevertheless, the developers at Starry Studio and NetEase have been proactive in addressing these concerns. They officially released a response on the game’s official Discord, which you can also find on Steam.
Some Concerns Are Valid, but the Misinformation Should Stop Soon Enough
The fearmongering around Once Human’s privacy policy can be attributed to a general mistrust of data collection practices in the gaming industry. Many players expressed concerns about potential identity theft and misuse of their personal information.
However, NetEase has reiterated its commitment to data privacy, adhering to principles of data minimization and transparency. The Marvel Rivals creator stated that ID data is only collected under specific circumstances and is not stored indefinitely.
Some people have pointed out the irony of the situation by bringing up the fact that people routinely share personal information on other platforms without hesitation or knowing.
This controversy will no doubt subside as players understand things more clearly. As Hall aptly put it, fearmongering on social media is indeed “boring as s**t,” and a more informed approach can help dispel unnecessary fears.
What are your thoughts on the Once Human privacy policy? Let us know in the comments!
