It's funny watching everyone flip out about EAs Origin EULA and its "shocking" revelations.

It's creepy and watches you sleep!
This is ridiculous!
I'm never buying any of their games anymore!
Why don't more people know about this?? The outrage!
This is spying, plain and simple, and I'm fairly certain it's against the law.
Can't we do anything about this?
Rabble rabble rabble..

History is repeating itself, but it's even more entertaining when you see history repeating itself of people flipping out over history repeating itself.

Here's the section of the EULA that gamers are upset about:

You agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer (including the Internet Protocol 37683v1 Address), operating system, Application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online services. EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our third party service providers in a form that does not personally identify you. IF YOU DO NOT WANT EA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, TRANSMIT OR DISPLAY THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE APPLICATION.

So basically,

* EA might collect information about your PC including software and hardware to assist in product support.
* EA might also use this with personal information for marketing purposes or to improve their products or services.
* EA might share this information with third parties that does not personally identify you.
* If you don't want EA to do this, just don't install the application.

All of this anger and yet they've already accepted EULAs from other game publishers without question. And yet, there's no outrage. (Well.. we all know that hardly anyone ever reads those things.)

Here's a EULA comparison to a very popular MMORPG:

* Blizzard might collect information about your PC including, but not limited to, software and hardware to assist in product support.
* Blizzard might also use this with personal information for marketing purposes or to improve their products or services.
* Blizzard might share this information with third parties that WILL personally identify you.
* Blizzard can alter this information (chat sessions) before submitting your personally identifiable information to third parties.
* If you don't want Blizzard to do this, just don't install the application.

Here are the excerpts from their EULA:

"WHEN THE GAME IS RUNNING, BLIZZARD MAY OBTAIN CERTAIN IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION YOUR HARD DRIVES, CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT, IP ADDRESS(ES) AND OPERATING SYSTEM(S), FOR PURPOSES OF IMPROVING THE GAME AND/OR THE SERVICE"

"WHEN RUNNING, THE GAME MAY MONITOR YOUR COMPUTER'S RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM) AND/OR CPU PROCESSES FOR UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAMS RUNNING CONCURRENTLY WITH WORLD OF WARCRAFT."

"Blizzard may, with or without notice to you, disclose your Internet Protocol (IP) address(es), personal information, chat logs, and other information about you and your activities".. to ANY third parties, not just associated with law enforcement.

"BLIZZARD MAY MONITOR, RECORD, REVIEW, MODIFY AND/OR DISCLOSE YOUR CHAT SESSIONS, WHETHER VOICE OR TEXT, WITHOUT NOTICE TO YOU, AND YOU HEREBY CONSENT TO SUCH MONITORING, RECORDING, REVIEW, MODIFICATION AND/OR DISCLOSURE."

The EFF has even labeled World of Warcraft (Warden) as official Spyware.

They're not alone though, almost everyone does this and it shouldn't come as a surprise. Steam, Microsoft operating systems and applications, Google, Youtube, Facebook, MySpace, etc.. they all do this kind of stuff.