If I Can’t Own Online Games I Pay For, They Shouldn’t Be Allowed Access To My Data

Ever since the Internet became the norm, everything has transformed dramatically, including video games. Online games are undeniably a massive part of today’s gaming, and they enable modes of cooperative play never possible before. However, it also introduced a new set of problems, stuff much more troubling than the issues of days past. From microtransactions to mask a lack of content to taking away your privacy and ownership rights, it just gets worse.

The Woes Of Online Gaming

There’s plenty of fun associated with online games, but it isn’t enough to forgive all the problems they have introduced. At this point, you know how much I despise the battle passes and live service model, so I’ll spare you the rant. Let’s discuss some more pressing concerns, like ownership and privacy concerns.

Games that require the internet to work will never be yours. Companies hold everything, even the ownership of such games. You can play an online game as long they allow it. If an online game decides to shut down, it doesn’t matter just how much you spent on it, it’ll all go down the drain. Recently, this cancer has spread to single-player games, too. The companies don’t want you to own those either by making them always online.

Single Player games that relies on Internet Connection (always online) to combat Piracy must’ve been the most pathetic and anti-consumerism decision ever made by game companies
byu/Rabbidscool inpcgaming

But, there’s something even more threatening. Not only can you not own online games, but there’s an even bigger risk involved, the risk of exposing your online presence. Yeah, you heard me right. Online gaming has a strong chance of violating your privacy, regardless of your consent. Aggressive data collection in the guise of “anti-cheat” software is getting out of hand. 

Everyone has a right to privacy, and if you’re extra cautious about it, it’s completely justified. However, the advent of the Internet has made violating someone’s privacy very easy, and online games can also be a means to this end.

If you think these big corporations are your friends or have your best interest in mind, I have some news for you. Playing Valorant or League of Legends will expose you to the blatant malware which is the Riot Vanguard anti-cheat. Moreover, even Epic practiced fraudulent and coercive tactics to create a false pretense of consent while collecting data it never should have.

Epic Games creator of the video game Fortnite, to pay a total of $520 million over FTC allegations Epic violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and deployed dark patterns to dupe millions of players into making unintentional purchases: https://t.co/yHaQx8VXlu

— FTC (@FTC) December 19, 2022

Data-collection aside, exposing your IP means leaking out your ISP and physical location, information about your daily browsing, and the high risk of a DDoS attack. Regardless if anyone has a particular vendetta against you, online games can jeopardize your online presence. Not only are you denied ownership, but open yourself up to nasty, privacy-violating tactics.

Is this even legal? I just had to agree to an invisible Privacy Policy to keep playing Rocket League lol. There wasn’t even a way to click on the link on my Xbox, could only choose between Accept and Decline X’D. So I’d have to manually type that URL into a browser to see what I was agreeing to…
byu/A1sauc3d inRocketLeague

A VPN Might Help Alleviate Some Of These

Unfortunately, there’s nothing I, or anyone else, can do to help you out to combat the first set of problems. The hate for live services is at its peak, yet they do not cease. Big companies blatantly state they want you to accept you can’t own your games. These predatory tactics aren’t going anywhere, but at least you can protect your privacy against these greedy corporations.

“The online world can be a dangerous place. That’s why it’s important to rely on security tools that can protect you,” says Surfshark VPN.

Now I don’t think a Kernel-level anti-cheat software can be bypassed by anything other than “don’t use it,” you can use a good VPN to secure your online presence. As you must be aware, a VPN routes your traffic through a secure server located in a country of your choice, modifying your IP and thus misleading anyone trying to harm you. Cybersecurity has become a massive concern lately, and a VPN can prevent a lot of damage.

How does a VPN work?

This diagram below shows how we access the internet with and without VPNs.

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a technology that creates a secure, encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the public internet. The primary purpose of a VPN… pic.twitter.com/t5hz2NG21s

— Alex Xu (@alexxubyte) February 1, 2024

Plus, a VPN is not just protecting your privacy. For gamers, a VPN can open up many possibilities, stuff they’ll find very welcome. For starters, selecting a country closer to the server location of the game you’re playing can drastically improve your ping. A good VPN can bypass any caps set on your connection by your ISP, ensuring a smooth session.

That’s not all. Being a gamer, you must be well aware of the extreme inconveniences of region-locking and selective censorship. If you’re residing in a country with a particularly strict censorship board, even the most minor of things can cause a game you were eagerly awaiting to be banned. That’s where a VPN comes in. Select a country with no such restrictions, and you’ll be good to go.

Dont Let These Anti-Consumer Practices Prevail

Whether it’s aggressive data collection, or restricting certain features, all these tactics benefit these big corporations. Regardless of what the consumers want, they only consider their own profit and wishes. Thus, it’s only fair that you respond appropriately and circumvent as many of these decisions as you can. 

By using a VPN, you can protect your data from these companies, as well as lift restrictions imposed on your gaming experience; it’s killing two birds with one stone. A good VPN can secure you on gaming platforms like Discord, take care of targeted ads and malware, bypass bandwidth caps, prevent DDoS attacks, and issue timely alerts to warn of a breach.