Technically, TFP didn't need access. You could chat on Discord while in the game before. Discord functionality didn't have to be integrated for that to happen. It just was because TFP doesn't have its own chat client for the game and Discord's API/SDK just so happens to be there, but it's the same practice as every web site and app asking for access to your information on Facebook, which I always denied when I was on FB. Those other sites don't need your contacts list or personal information to function or for you to use them. They just want it to "personalize" advertising and sell your info to data brokers. Same here. Discord may be the Facebook of gaming, but no game needs your Discord info and content for you to chat with your friends on it while playing. So it's quite all right for people to have privacy concerns when Discord is integrated into any game. Discord = Facebook. Oh, for the days of Teamspeak.
Well, yeah... they could have used something else. They didn't, so this is what I was referring to. Note that this kind of permission thing in a EULA is the same as you'd have for a lot (perhaps most) integration of services from a third party company. It's there because there are legal reasons it has to be there. Discord can't just say that TFP can go ahead and access their chat services without TFP adding the EULA that states they have permission to do so if you are using Discord in the game. This isn't really any different from if you were to install some kind of text messaging app on your phone. It will ask for permission to use your contacts in order to use the app. It's not exactly the same because that's just a direct asking of permission versus EULA (though it may be in the app's EULA for all I know), but it's still very similar... the app needs permission from the the phone maker (Google, Apple, etc.) to be allowed to use necessary things like a contact list in order to function. The phone's software won't just let them use it. Again, it's not quite the same, but it's something people may be more familiar with.
@InfiniteWarrior I don´t have the "Loading Discord" or whatever it said when booting up the game anymore now.
@Riamus @Brains Please explain why they need to know who i write DM´s with to make it possible. Or why they need to know who my friends are that don´t even own the game, they didn´t sign up for this. Why would a DM to a person that doesn´t even own the game be essential for this to work? And i don´t care who demands it, TFP or Discord. TFP agreed to this. So they are also at fault.
I can understand that certain info is needed for this to work, but they get a lot more than just that. I don´t even understand why this needs to be integreated in the game at all in the first place. No one asked for this and honestly no one needs it, especially in a game that already has built in voice chat. But i guess money is the reason.
On a side note: Changing the EULA of something you already own might also not go well with the EU. Not sure on that one though, but i wll read into it on the weekend.
It's just how legal permission works, plus what software needs to work. If you want to chat with someone on Discord, you need their Discord username to do so. That comes from your contacts list. The Discord connection isn't just an in-game connection. It uses the Discord server, which means it's using the Discord usernames. Therefore it needs to have access to those, which is what the EULA grants.
As far as why it was integrated, there are probably a variety of reasons. But I'd guess (this is a guess before anyone starts claiming I'm stating it as a fact) one reason is because a lot of players used Discord to chat with people in the game instead of the in-game chat. Adding this simplifies things for them and improves their experience. For those who don't want it, they can disable it. Another possible reason is that it may simply work better than the in-game option. I haven't used it, though I did enable it, so I can't say whether or not it is better. I personally use Steam to handle voice chat.
As far as changing the EULA for the EU, software can make changes to the EULA in new versions. The user can then decline the update. For PC, this is straightforward... the user will just have to play the older version of the game without updating. I don't know how that works for console if they aren't allowed to avoid an update. But that would end up being something that Microsoft or Sony would have to deal with instead of TFP since those are the ones who don't let you avoid using an older version of the game. However, I am relatively sure that being able to disable the integration will make it an acceptable option for a user to decline the EULA changes while using the new version. The EU laws regarding EULA changes are mostly about transparency, ability to decline, and not making detrimental changes. I don't see that this would have any issue with that. Besides, this is likely almost boilerplate from Discord and I'm sure Discord integration has been done many times before, so has already been through the legal processes of the EU. Regardless, you can bet that TFP's legal team already verified that it's legal in the EU.
It's crazy how often people complain about EULA changes. It happens whenever one changes in a game. Yet the same people complaining have no problem doing things that give out their information online all the time. I can pretty much guarantee that everything done online is already publicly available in one form or another. The idea of privacy online is a fantasy. If you don't want your information to be online, then stay offline. Even then, a lot of it will be online if you are doing anything publicly. About the only way to avoid it is to live somewhere that doesn't do anything online (some remote village in the middle of the Amazon, for example).
I'm not saying privacy concerns aren't valid. All I'm saying is that you should have reasonable expectations regarding online privacy. The act of being online requires a certain amount of a lack of privacy in order to do things. Just connecting to the internet requires your computer to share certain details with those you connect to, such as your IP. And that is just the connection before you do anything else.
