Data privacy: Why is there a discord client in the Game?!

[TheMax85]

I noticed a discord log file in the Game files next to the other logs. It says it can’t connect. So I guess it does not do anything (yet).

Collecting telemetry (with the permission of the customer) is one thing. But installing a 3rd party tool like discord is a whole other topic.

@co_avanya can you please provide some information on that? Dependingnon what that is, I don’t really find it funny without my consent.

We should at least know why it is there and what it does. If it’s just a connector for a possibly installed app that’s ok. But even then: make it transparent! There is something like the GDPR for good reasons.

 

[Nicux]

I wondered about this too. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[R-TEAM]

I have not a log that naming like "discord" or anything relevant ..... and i use not discord anyway ... so imho not SC2 relevant ...

 

[TheMax85]

I have not a log that naming like "discord" or anything relevant ..... and i use not discord anyway ... so imho not SC2 relevant ...

Its in the game profile directory.

 

[R-TEAM]

I know where the logs are sit .......

 

[FX2K]

In my game folder, I have another folder which is quite eye catching

"Cities2_BurstDebugInformation_DoNOTShip"

Within here and a few sub-folders deep are a few logs, and one of them contains:

Library: C:\BuildAgent\work\3938c65d62942b1d\BeverlyHills\Temp\BurstOutput\Data\Plugins\x86_64\lib_burst_generated
--platform=Windows
--backend=burst-llvm-15
--target=AVX2
--global-safety-checks-setting=Off
--meta-data-generation=False
--dump=Function
--float-precision=Standard
--target-framework=NetFramework
--assembly-defines=UnityEngine;
--assembly-defines=Colossal.OdinSerializer;
--assembly-defines=com.rlabrecque.steamworks.net;
--assembly-defines=DiscordSDK;
--assembly-defines=Cohtml.RenderingBackend;
--assembly-defines=Colossal.Mathematics;
--assembly-defines=Colossal.Plugins;
--assembly-defines=Colossal.UI.Binding;
--assembly-defines=Unity.ScriptableBuildPipeline;
--assembly-defines=PDX.ModsUI;

In the game data files, is:

...\Cities Skylines II\Cities2_Data\Managed\DiscordSDK.dll

Discord Developer Portal — API Docs for Bots and Developers

Integrate your service with Discord — whether it's a bot or a game or whatever your wildest imagination can come up with.

discord.com

 

[prismaticmarcus]

Does anyone who has this have any mods installed?

 

[R-TEAM]

I have not the logs in "Cities2_BurstDebugInformation_DoNOTShip" - but sure have the folder self ....
and (normal as it is an game file) have the "..\Cities Skylines II\Cities2_Data\Managed\DiscordSDK.dll" ( i assume all installs have this ..)

atm i have no problem is CS2 prepared to use it with discord if the user need it ...

 

[FX2K]

Does anyone who has this have any mods installed?

I doubt it being mod related, its in the build / debug logs that appear to be part of the deployement routine from CO.
The name suggests that perhaps the files shouldn't have been included in a release (in my game at least), but it only contains a log of things, nothiing major ( post #6)

But I also think its nothing of concern.

 

[R-TEAM]

First i musst say Sorry - the OP is right .... (in terms that it IS an discord log file ... nothing more i say ...)
As you have seen - the files was from early Nov in the screenshot - have long time not play the game ...
Now out of curiuosity - i started SC2 .... and with the actual version - it is an dicord log here ...
The entrys :

[2023-12-02 15:54:22,544] [WARN] Could not initialize Discord
ResultException: InternalError
at Discord.Discord..ctor (System.Int64 clientId, System.UInt64 flags) [0x00327] in <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:0
at Colossal.PSI.Discord.DiscordRichPresence.Initialize (System.Threading.CancellationToken token) [0x00020] in <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:0

(the <xxxx...xxxx> are censored from me to hide maybe private data tokens ...)

 

[[Delta ²k5]]

That's most likely just part of the Unity framework, something like a Jira notification bot:

Discord: Send notifications to your team’s Discord channel through a Discord-defined webhook.

Unity - Manual: Unity Integrations

docs.unity3d.com

As no server and user for the bot is configured it just throws errors and that's it.

 

[BoraBora]

I know where the logs are sit .......

View attachment 1058057

I don't have one either. I just updated the game to be sure it wasn't added since my last game. I do have a DiscordSDK.dll but no log.

 

[TheMax85]

Does anyone who has this have any mods installed?

I have no mods. But developer mode is active.

 

[TheMax85]

Could just be the discord integration dll, don´t see a big problem with it.

And complaining about data privacy is pretty much annoying. You didn´t even read the EULA where basically is stated that you suck and your data is collected, processed and used for statistics in almost every matter.

If you would really care you would just decline the EULA and wouldnt be even here.

Eula‘s are invalid in Germany in general because you have to accept them after buying not before. Our Courts have had that topic already 20 years ago enough with Microsoft.

Anyway GDPR requires an explicit consent if data is collected. So my valid question by my EU Citizen rights is simply: Is there something going on? If not, that’s ok. But CO should answer it.

 

[Troyen]

I don't think it's active or intentional. I do have a log but the only contents are:

[2023-12-01 22:09:28,787] [WARN] Could not initialize Discord
ResultException: InternalError
at Discord.Discord..ctor (System.Int64 clientId, System.UInt64 flags) [0x00327] in <3963fda7f1ef40d498487ff2ef70a113>:0
at Colossal.PSI.Discord.DiscordRichPresence.Initialize (System.Threading.CancellationToken token) [0x00020] in <3559d2307ebc414dabdb5ee1d1457059>:0

And this machine actually has Discord installed (and I was connected while playing the game). Looks like remnants of a hook for the dev team that got shipped rather than something actually used by the released client.

 

[[Delta ²k5]]

I just did a quick stupid test:
- Starting the game without Discord installed and in dev mode: log gets created with the error message
- Starting the game without Discord installed as a normal user: log gets created with the error message
- Starting the game with Discord installed as a normal user: no log gets created, Discord shows I'm in main menu of C:S2
- Starting the game with Discord installed in dev mode: no log gets created, Discord shows I'm in main menu of C:S2

Anyway GDPR requires an explicit consent if data is collected.

What data shall that be? Looks to me just to be the regular, stupid Discord meta tagging - nothing more with your pii data being completely irrelevant as it's just sending the games name and status to the local instance of Discords API. It's most likely just set up as shown here:

And this machine actually has Discord installed (and I was connected while playing the game). Looks like remnants of a hook for the dev team that got shipped rather than something actually used by the released client.

Did you ensure you did delete the log before executing Discord (date on your log shows Dec 1st) and C:S2? In my case (Steam user) the log did not show up again after running Discord

 

[TheMax85]

I just did a quick stupid test:
- Starting the game without Discord installed and in dev mode: log gets created with the error message
- Starting the game without Discord installed as a normal user: log gets created with the error message
- Starting the game with Discord installed as a normal user: no log gets created, Discord shows I'm in main menu of C:S2
- Starting the game with Discord installed in dev mode: no log gets created, Discord shows I'm in main menu of C:S2




What data shall that be? Looks to me just to be the regular, stupid Discord meta tagging - nothing more with your pii data being completely irrelevant as it's just sending the games name and status to the local instance of Discords API. It's most likely just set up as shown here:

Did you ensure you did delete the log before executing Discord (date on your log shows Dec 1st) and C:S2? In my case (Steam user) the log did not show up again after running Discord

So if it is sending the game that I am playing and my status to discord without asking for permission this is clearly sharing personal data to a 3rd party app which requires an explicit consent. It’s not a big deal, I agree but GDPR is pretty strict on that. Especially when it it about a 3rd party service.

But as far as I understand this happens only in the developer mode that normal players should not use? That said it’s not a bug, it’s a feature but intended for the CO Devs. I can imagine that some people even want that to be a regular feature.

Anyway as the Developer Mode is used by many „normal“ players these days, CO should check with their legal department if a „do you agree, that…“ confirmation at game start should be added.

Just to avoid posts like mine and another big wave of bad news if someone boiles this up. Because it sounds like a great chance for clickbait.

 

[mettliebe]

in "CO Word of the Week #5"

CO Word of the Week #5

This week I’ll keep things brief and focus on what’s happening on modding. As suspected, modders wait for no-one and they have already achieved really cool stuff like maps and code mods which is amazing! Cities: Skylines II release build...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

there is paragraph

We would like to invite all mod, map, and asset creators to join early access to the Editor for a few weeks before its release so you can see what it is like, test out your already created mods, and share your feedback with us. If you have experience creating mods for Cities: Skylines please sign up here.

within the "Cities: Skylines II Editor Early Access Request"-Form, people who request for it are also asked for their discord username.
perhaps there is a relation... not only for communicating

something like 2FA?

 

[tycoonmike8784]

Note that I am, in no way, an expert on EU law so take this with a grain of salt. Article 4 of the GDPR states that:

‘personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;

I don't know of any relevant EU case law that would establish the fact that you're playing a video game as personally identifiable information, or else the Steam notifications that pop up with "X is now playing Y" would also likely run afoul of GDPR. I don't know if Valve is being sued by the EU in this regard, so others closer to the legal scene in the EU might want to pipe up. Your username, perhaps, could be but then again we've seen no evidence of this Discord API collecting anything.

 

[akrobby907]

So when can we expect to see the lawsuit? Do you have an attorney retained yet?