Questionable Data Collection Is Why I Can Never Trust Tencent

Business models fail, and companies fall into a serious crisis, all this is part of the process we call life. Even the towering giants that dominate their field are not exempt from this—the example of Ubisoft is before you. The flow of time is cruel and swift. Fail to keep up, and your days are numbered, and Ubisoft has no one but itself to blame.

I’m sure you know Ubisoft’s current pickle pretty well by now, so I’ll keep this brief. Among this erratic situation, there’s a high chance that Tencent might jump in and acquire Ubisoft. The Chinese tech giant already has a 10% stake in the company, and Ubisoft has recently confirmed how options for a buyout are being considered.

Tencent’s Aggressive Data Collection Cannot Be Ignored

As my fellow colleague has already expressed in a highly insightful manner, I concur that this move might save Ubisoft in its critical time. Considering how ginormous Tencent is, getting Ubisoft wouldn’t be a problem, and the Chinese company might even mend some of its current “modern” tendencies that created this issue in the first place. But I’d like to add one point regarding Tencent that I still have plenty of doubts about.

That is none other than the conglomerate’s questionable data collection practices. Tencent is practically infamous for being pretty shrewd regarding its handling of user data. I mean, this is a company that was called out in China, its homeland, for crying out loud. Even the locals didn’t feel safe around Tencent’s antics, let alone the whole world.

On top of that, the intentions behind the data collection also pose a problem. Tencent is essentially CCP, which raises a whole new level of privacy concerns. Couple that with the tech giant’s highly strict censorship policies, and the situation gets worse. One of the reasons why many people avoid Tencent products and bash the company, especially in the gaming domain, is due to this data collection fiasco.

Tencent will take your private data
byu/SkipDrawz innintendo

The Notorious Vanguard From Riot Games

Don’t worry, I didn’t come here with just years-old lawsuits as my only weapons. For you fellow gamers, I brought a gaming-related example—one that you know quite well. Remember Riot Games‘ kernel-level anti-cheat Vanguard? How can you forget? Well, what if I tell you that this was Tencent pulling the strings?

Riot Games is a completely Tencent-owned company and a perfect example of why the conglomerate’s data collection strategies are a serious problem. The kernel-level anti-cheat first introduced with Valorant essentially dissects your PC, leaving everything exposed. It’s essentially spyware, one that countless people have come to hate. No one wants a foreign software poking around, collecting god knows what.

Riot is manipulating data for you to instal Vanguard
byu/SirDindi inJungle_Mains

When the Vanguard was added to League of Legends, things got worse. Now there were two games you’d want to stay away from. Plus, the launcher was actively bricking computers left and right, messing up with your Windows files in its hunt for your data. How can you trust a company when it’s willing to go to such lengths for data collection?

If this was an optional feature that could be declined by the user, we wouldn’t even be here having this discussion. But Tencent refuses to let you refuse. The kernel-level anti-cheat is a must, whether you like it or not. Absurd moves like this are why people use proxies, like MarsProxy, and VPNs to minimize leaks, and I suggest you do, too.

Privacy Concerns Are Real

Though I don’t know how useful a solution like this can be for kernel-level spyware, at least it ensures you get the maximum possible protection, which, trust me, is an asset in the current times. The digital era brought many boons but came with certain grave cons as well.

I won’t go off spouting idealistic things like data collection should not exist. I know that user data is important and integral for these companies to operate. But I believe there needs to be solid two-way communication and consent regarding this. Some of Tencent’s policies try to bypass this free will, which doesn’t sit well with me.

I don't understand how they own so much
byu/shawaty inAndroidGaming

This is why I am a little skeptical as to what would happen if Tencent does indeed get Ubisoft. Riot Games is a completely Tencent-owned company, and if Ubisoft becomes one too, the aggressive data collection will be a very real concern. I just hope the worst doesn’t happen.