Ubisoft Faces $104 Million Fine for Alleged Unlawful Collection of Data

Noyb, an organization that specializes in enforcing data protection laws, is attempting to fine Ubisoft for $104 million under the premise that Ubisoft is unlawfully collecting data. The fine has been filed with Australia’s data protection authority – the fine has not yet been officially approved. 

Noyb alleges Ubisoft siphons off players’ gaming habits without clear permissions – thereby prompting the organization to push for legal action. Titles mentioned were Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Far Cry Primal – both of which are single player offline experiences that require an internet connection. 

The official blog outlining Noyb’s claims presents an example. While playing a single player title, one user noticed the game pinged external servers 150 times in just 10 minutes. 

“The company forces its customers to connect to the internet every time they launch a single player game. This is the case even if the game doesn’t have any online features,” Noyb wrote in their official blog. 

Noyb argues this violates EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, laws, which serve to protect privacy and security of personal data for individuals in the EU. The complaint specifically claims Ubisoft infringed Article 6(1) GDPR, which is the ‘Lawfulness of processing.’ The laws “demand transparency and consent,” both of which Noyb claims Ubisoft does not have legal precedent.