As reported on www.planetblackandwhite.com :

"About Black & White and Spyware.

There has been the rumour that Black & White has so called spyware, which sends information about your computer (registry details, hardware info etc.) to Lionhead/EA.

This is wrong.

Black & White uses a mechanism for its built in messaging system to tell the server if you're online or not and ready for receiving messages from other friends online. The information sent is even too small to fit my full name into it.

We are not spying on your system!

For the people who are concerned about their privacy and security: If you connect with a normal web browser to a web site, much, much more information (your IP, your operating oystem, your web browser, the site you came from, etc.) is stored on every web server on the Internet.

So, be more concerned that if you have downloaded illegal software from web sites, the site operator has stored far more information about who you are and where you came from, than Black & White ever does. Suffice to say, if you playing an illegal copy of Black & White, the program is self-aware, so if you encounter problems with it, then maybe you should buy a proper version."


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I like that last comment - "self-aware" - beware you pirate bastards !

If it doesn't mention it on the box, it sure sounds like spyware to me.

Mulder?

I agree -- it shouldn't send messages out without the user's approval. A simple option that could be toggled when the game is installed would take care of it -- "Do you want the Lionhead server to know when you're online so you can receive messages from other players?"

I have to think that at least in part it's an anti-piracy measure, which is why they don't make it an option.

There really ought to be such an option on the full version, but if there is a spyware version circulating, then I say more power to 'em for not giving them that option.