The decision to remove the app came after several Reddit and Steam users noticed that many game publishers have recently embedded a controversial analytics SDK (software development kit) part of recent updates to their games.
Games rally against RedShell usage
The program bundled with all these games, and at the heart of all the recent controversy is RedShell, an analytics package provided by Innervate, Inc., to game publishers.
Game makers are supposed to embed this SDK within their games and run social marketing programs with specific affiliate IDs. If a new user buys and installs a game via one of these campaigns, the RedShell SDK embedded in the game pings back the publishers about the source of the new install.
But in several recent online discussions, users are complaining that besides logging the source of a new game install, the app also creates fingerprints for each gamer, with information about their online personas and gaming rigs.
Furthermore, many game studios have not told users that this SDK is now part of their games, or if they did, they made it an opt-out package instead of opt-in, as most privacy laws across the globe dictate.
Some background connections for Conan Exiles which are activated every session
dl.conanexiles is for patchnotes...other stuff is not so nice.
Blocked Redshell spyware leads game to instant crash during the Unreal engine advertising video.
Redshell is an "service" for Marketing attribution & Steam tracking for PC games
Wasn't active before release.
Everyone can test it. Add "0.0.0.0 api.redshell.io" to hosts and start the game.
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!
Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Are there still single-player games that don't require (or at least default to) an internet connection? I already assume that Google, Facebook, and Amazon know everything that I do online...but I'd always thought of gaming as an offline thing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised if my games are tattling on me now too.