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[crimsonheadGCN]

From slashdot:

"A few days ago I noticed some weird artifacts covering the screenshots I captured using the WoW game client application. I sharpened the images and found a repeating pattern secretly embedded inside. I posted this information on the OwnedCore forum and after an amazing three-day cooperation marathon, we managed to prove that all our WoW screenshots, since at least 2008, contain a custom watermark. This watermark includes our user IDs, the time the screenshot was captured and the IP address of the server we were on at the time. It can be used to track down activities which are against Blizzard's Terms of Service, like hacking the game or running a private server. The users were never notified by the ToS that this watermarking was going on so, for four years now, we have all been publicly sharing our account and realm information for hackers to decode and exploit. You can find more information on how to access the watermark in the aforementioned forum post which is still quite active."

http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/...secretly-watermarking-world-of-warcraft-users

 

[Rollo Lawson]

Shit storm time. Blizzard, indeed

 

[Leezard]

Wow, do their other games do this as well?

 

[crimsonheadGCN]

Wow, do their other games do this as well?

Their other games probably do if WoW's been doing this since 2008 as stated.

 

[DECK'ARD]

Mark of the Beast.

 

[Metroid Hunter]

Prt Scrn guys!

 

[clip]

Why is this bad?

 

[Ashodin]

What the fuck!? That's some serious shit!

 

[Wthermans]

Why is this bad?

They're making your UserID publicly available without your consent.

 

[Ferrio]

Why is this bad?

It's really not hah. I'm one to jump on underhanded shit, but this one is a bit ridiculous to get upset about.

 

[McLovin]

That's really clever, but screw them for doing it.

 

[Dennis]

First Diablo 3 and now this.

I think Blizzard is turning evil.

 

[FinKL]

This is pretty big I would think. Now kind of makes you wonder what other games do this. Wonder if D3 did it as well.

 

[Drkirby]

I wonder if this is the reason for so many hack attempts on Blizzard games.

 

[Filth]

Why is this bad?

It's like buying a camera and secretly there's a hidden message with my name, address, and all sorts of information I didnt want on my photo. And they were secretly doing it. Its a total breech of privacy in my opinion.

 

[thetrin]

That's...kind of fucked up. They could have at least put it in the TOS (though I'm sure they figured no one was going to read it anyway, so they didn't bother)

 

[Htown]

Huh. Since the year Blizzard merged with Activision.

 

[Dance Inferno]

I swear, Blizzard is constantly pulling shit like this, infringing on users' privacy in the name of "better service," and they never see as large of a user backlash as any other firm would if they tried the same thing.

 

[Acerac]

First Diablo 3 and now this.

I think Blizzard is turning evil.

Turning evil? The article says this started 4 years ago.

They've turned.

 

[Venfayth]

Jesus, come on. This is pretty damning.

 

[Oni Link 666]

I don't see what good your user ID, time, and realm IP does to anyone but Blizzard. Remember that you log into Battle.net with your email address, not your user ID. Your user ID is pretty useless.

 

[crimsonheadGCN]

That's...kind of fucked up. They could have at least put it in the TOS (though I'm sure they figured no one was going to read it anyway, so they didn't bother)

It is in the TOS I believe. It's part of the section where they describe what they send back to the servers. It's the same info.

 

[Wok]

I thought about that. But I would not expect it to be used.

 

[M.D]

First Diablo 3 and now this.

I think Blizzard is turning evil.

What if they were always evil?

 

[Oersted]

It's like buying a camera and secretly there's a hidden message with my name, address, and all sorts of information I didnt want on my photo. And they were secretly doing it. Its a total breech of privacy in my opinion.

dont buy androids or iphones. but yes, its bad.

 

[Bisnic]

By userID, they mean the email adress we are using for our Battle.net account? At least my password and randomly generated authenticator number isn't in there. :lol

 

[DECK'ARD]

No more anonymous sex for you!

 

[ihearthawthats]

They're making your UserID publicly available without your consent.

is it really publicly available if it requires a hacker to decode it? perhaps hackers will release tools for the public to easily decode it, but i'm not particularly upset about the idea personally.

 

[scy]

That's...kind of fucked up. They could have at least put it in the TOS (though I'm sure they figured no one was going to read it anyway, so they didn't bother)

It not being in the TOS is the biggest surprise. I mean, I didn't know about this watermarking but I'm not entirely shocked there's some kind of user data in it :|

No more anonymous sex for you!

Man, there's going to be a lot of hilarious WoW screenshots that people are going to go decode now.

 

[Z3M0G]

I wonder if mass knowledge of this could have more negative affects than positive...

 

[BasilZero]

Blizzard the New EA.

 

[ultron87]

They're making your UserID publicly available without your consent.

To be clear, this isn't your username. It is just a unique ID associated with your account. So it could be used to figure out which characters are on the same account, but not much else.

 

[la flama blanca]

BLIZZ GONNA BLIZZ

 

[XEROWUN]

They're making your UserID publicly available without your consent.

this was argued a while back when the character profiles told people in real time what the person was doing in game. the conclusion, like it or not is, wow owns everything even your UserID which means they can do what ever they want with it, though stupid how it is.

 

[stuminus3]

I don't see what good your user ID, time, and realm IP does to anyone but Blizzard. Remember that you log into Battle.net with your email address, not your user ID. Your user ID is pretty useless.

*Nothing* personal posted on the internet is useless. User IDs are not as anonymous as you think.

 

[Tomodachi]

Actiblizzard at it again.

 

[Ferrio]

It's like buying a camera and secretly there's a hidden message with my name, address, and all sorts of information I didnt want on my photo. And they were secretly doing it. Its a total breech of privacy in my opinion.

Except it's not. Your analogy only works if it's just your name, that's the only personal information in SS.

 

[Sethos]

Serves people right for using the games own screenshot function. That is blasphemy.

 

[OldJadedGamer]

First Diablo 3 and now this.

I think Blizzard is turning evil.

They are owned by Activision. What did you expect?

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

It's like buying a camera and secretly there's a hidden message with my name, address, and all sorts of information I didnt want on my photo. And they were secretly doing it. Its a total breech of privacy in my opinion.

Sadly, cameras do that already.

 

[iNvid02]

fraps or afterburner - use them

 

[Oni Link 666]

*Nothing* personal posted on the internet is useless. User IDs are not as anonymous as you think.

Can you tell me what someone could use your WOW user ID for?

 

[hym]

I doubt any 3rd party has a use for this but what I am worried about is that people creating exploit guides or pretty much anything Blizzard doesn't like are unknowingly also telling them who they are simply by sharing a screenshot.

 

[Larsen B]

It's not so much what is being shared but the fact that something is being shared.

Beware of escalation.

 

[Ferrio]

Can you tell me what someone could use your WOW user ID for?

Try to log in as you... that's it.

 

[XEROWUN]

It's not so much what is being shared but the fact that something is being shared.

Beware of escalation.

its been escalating.

 

[Oni Link 666]

Try to log in as you... that's it.

But you don't use the user ID to log on to anything!

 

[scy]

Try to log in as you... that's it.

To be clear, this isn't your username. It is just a unique ID associated with your account. So it could be used to figure out which characters are on the same account, but not much else.

Seems like it's not even that.

 

[commish]

I don't see what the problem is. And if you dont' like it, then don't play their games?

 

[Ferrio]

But you don't use the user ID to log on to anything!

Oh so it's not even your userid... ya this is such a nonissue. There's plenty to be upset about that Blizzard/act does, this shouldn't be one of them.