Once Human Terms Of Service: Is It A Spyware?

Developers Starry Studios and NetEase Games' most anticipated open-world survival MMO, Once Human, is finally out. In less than 24 hours of its release, the game is already receiving backlash for collecting too much player information.

Once Human collects ID information (which I couldn't find stated anywhere in the Privacy Policy) from players to ensure the personal information they are providing is correct and not fake. In the wake of that, many players are considering the game as Spyware as it is developers and publisher have China-based origins.

Seeing that, I am here to talk about Once Human terms of service and whether it is really a Spyware.

Is Once Human A Spyware?

While Once Human's over-collection of personal information is a little too much for an online MMO, it is not the first time an app has collected such information.

That aside, Once Human collects the ID information to ensure your personal data is correct and not fake. In case you didn't know, Once Human features PvP content, we may see temporary and permanent bans on players using cheats or any third-party code to benefit.

The use of cheats, third-party tools, or any actions that compromise the fairness of the game are strictly prohibited. Once verified, offenders will face severe account bans and their details will be regularly published on our official website. We encourage everyone to report misconduct in-game or on Discord to help us maintain a fair gaming environment.

This is just a guess, but to make the PvP better, the devs are making sure no user would be able to use fake accounts to play the game.

All these things aside, until and unless you consider every application having an origin from China, you don't have to worry about Once Human being a Spyware.

If you remember, Valorant also required Kernel access, and players made a fuss about it being malware and even called it Spyware for China, as Riot Games is a part of Tencent.

Well, people are still playing Valorant, and no cases have proven the game is Spyware.

So, ultimately, I don't think Once Human is Spyware at all, and you can enjoy the game without worrying too much about it.

Should You Play Once Human?

Now, while I believe the over-collection of data has nothing to do with Once Human being Spyware, the final choice of playing the game should be yours.

I am already playing the game and will continue to do so. If you think, you are fine with Once Human Terms of Service, play the game. If not, skip it. There are thousands of better games out there.