News seems like quite a few unity games send user data without permission (and it isnt annoymous either)

[Ex-User (119)]

quite a few games have this its a default unity thing but devs have options to not allow this
my time at portia
AppData/LocalLow/Pathea Games/My Time at Portia/Unity/local.45d86fbd5072f0644ba577e1d65d9e44/Analytics/config 1:{"prefs":{},"analytics":{"enabled":true},"connect":{"limit_user_tracking":false,"player_optedout":false,"enabled":true},"performance":{"enabled":true}}

subnautica below zero
AppData/LocalLow/Unknown Worlds/Subnautica Below Zero/Unity/local.ec93a7e654e08a44b895ebc22bb3797d/Analytics/config 1:{"prefs":{},"analytics":{"enabled":true},"connect":{"limit_user_tracking":false,"player_opted_out":false,"enabled":true},"performance":{"enabled":true}}

helheim
{"prefs":{},"analytics":{"enabled":true},"connect":{"limit_user_tracking":false,"player_opted_out":false,"enabled":true},"performance":{"enabled":true}}


7days to die has the exact same file but its blank so its obvious devs can remove it


out-of-the-box features include access to user engagement and retention data through Metric Monitor and Data Explorer. Segmentation of players across various user dimensions and characteristics is automatically applied, with more than 20 standard segments available without any additional instrumentation.

Unity - Scripting API: Analytics

there is alot more at link

Unity provides the tools to allow a player to opt out of the PII collection, and to manage the personal data that Unity collects about them, as required by the GDPR. Your responsibilities include adding an opt-out button to your app, and providing a link to Unity’s privacy policy from your own privacy policy.

Unity - Manual: Unity Analytics and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

I've had a look and the following games have the Analytics config files and some have event data in an archive folder too.
Sunless Seas
Sunless Skies
Universe Sandbox2
While True; Learn()
Some Solitaire games
3-50 one of the Meditations daily games

Mainly in the "User/AppData/LocalLow" folder.

 

[RionaaM]

This is scummy, telemetry should always be opt-in instead of enabled by default. I wish companies started getting fined big time for this.

 

[OSatan]

I hope this gains traction, I hate when companies do it this way, just tell me.

 

[Stevey]

This is shitty

 

[Accoun]

Paratopic, Parkitect and MTG Arena all have those config files. Probably easier to list games that don't.

 

[Ex-User (119)]

well it seems like this gets very hidden i had a helheim dev answer my review

Steam Community :: Queen Of Hunting :: Review for Helheim

We are sorry to hear you discouraging the game for this reason. We are investigating the problem right now. We have no intention of using data tracking in any way. The script in question is probably automatically generated by Unity. We will resolve as soon as possible. We are sorry if this seemed shady but it was not our intention. We just want you all to enjoy our game

also in a thread

seems to have some user tracking data :: Helheim General Discussions

 

[MegaApple]

Thanks for pointing it out, The Queen
I had heard somewhere that Unity games gathered analystics, but I couldn't believe it.

I'll be careful installing a Unity game next time.

 

[RionaaM]

Nice to see the devs took it well, and are willing to fix this. I can really respect that!

 

[Alextended]

Just from reading the thread title I assumed it's just something many devs didn't turn off rather than deliberately do it. Where does it send the data to though? Is it a central Unity server/thing/whatever that devs who wish can then access the data from or is it meant to send it to where the devs want specifically, which means that in many cases it may make the files but not actually transmit them anywhere if they didn't set anything up for that purpose?