FSF on Minecraft Malware and Proprietary Games

infoivonblog.nkfjt@aleeas.com (Ivon Huang) — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 03:06:46 +0800

Microsoft Inserts Malware into Minecraft… The Free Software Foundation Criticizes Problems in the Game Industry.

This article was translated from the official Free Software Foundation website. The phenomena described in the article may be time-sensitive.

Original URL: Malware in Games - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation

Translation: Ivon Huang

The text below repeatedly mentions “addictiveness” and “addictive characteristics.” For the FSF’s definition, see here: Proprietary Addictions The following phenomena are sorted by time.

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Nonfree (proprietary) software is often also malware, used to abuse users. Nonfree software is completely controlled by developers, and developers have more power than users. This is deeply unfair. Developers and publishers often abuse this power and harm the basic rights users deserve, usually through malicious features.

Among the various malicious features in games, the worst is addictiveness, because it not only affects users physically but also harms them psychologically.

2020-10

Microsoft openly surveils users in Minecraft. Every player must register a Microsoft account to continue playing. Since Microsoft bought Minecraft, it has merged everything under its network, enabling it to obtain player data. (News source)

Minecraft players can switch to Minetest. The core advantage of Minetest is that it is free software and respects users’ computing freedom. In addition, it has more options.

2020-10

The addictive Genshin Impact uses various loot boxes in the game to force players to spend money. (News source)

2020-10

Between 2019 and 2020, Minecraft players were forced to migrate to Microsoft servers. This is an invasion of privacy. Microsoft released a program allowing users to run their own servers, but that program is proprietary software and unfair to users. (News source)

Minecraft players can switch to Minetest. The most basic advantage of Minetest is that it is free software and respects users’ computing freedom.

2020-04

Riot’s anti-cheat software is malware. It runs at the Windows kernel level during boot. This kind of software is extremely unsafe and increases the operating system’s attack surface. (News source)

2020-03

Roblox (and other games) build anti-features that make it easy for children to abuse unauthorized third-party payments. (News source)

2019-08

Microsoft eavesdropped on Xbox players, with real people behind the scenes specifically listening. (News source)

2019-07

Rich kids found a way to spend their parents’ bank savings dry: spend it all buying packs in EA football games.

The random elements of these packs, also called “loot boxes,” make the game highly addictive. In practice, to get the predatory pleasure of beating other players, players are forced to buy more packs. (News source) In 2018, the Belgian government classified such packs as illegal. (News source)

The only sufficient reason to possess a copy of a proprietary software game is to study it for the development of free software.

2018-09

Clash of Clans can be said to be a good example: the developers released it as a free mobile game, got many players addicted, and then used psychological control techniques to turn the game into a cash cow.

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FSF on Minecraft Malware and Proprietary Games

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