EA were the first to begin selling cheats and now they are the first to have created the most elaborate and expensive spyware tool since Windows 98. According to a Shacknews forum post, Battlefield 2142 includes an extra sheet of paper informing users that the game is being used to monitor their online and computer habits.
When you open the box, a big slip of paper falls out first, preceding any discs or manuals. The slip of paper says, essentially, that 2142 includes monitoring software which runs while your computer is online, and records "anonymous" information like your IP address, surfing habits (probably via cookie scans), and other "computing habits" in order to report this information back to ad companies and ad servers, which generates in-game ads.
In effect EA is using what you do on your PC in order to better target you with ads. It is also obvious that the information they gather about you and your online habits will also be used in any way they see fit. It is certain that the EULA you have to agree to while installing the game clears EA of any legal problems but as the Shacknews post points out the fact that they felt compelled to include an additional sheet informing people of what they are doing, suggests that they are aware of how far they are stretching gamer tolerance.
We really hope they have included an option to turn the online reporting off so that gamers have the option to avoid being spied on.
