BadFly Interactive, developers of Dead Effect and Dead Effect 2, have issued a statement denying that their privacy policy contradicts Steam’s Code of Conduct. Players have suggested that the language of the privacy policy (which can be read online here) gives BadFly an open door to datamine information including home addresses, phone numbers, and credit card details.
Passages like the following are brought up on both the Steam forums and in reviews for both games.
When customers play games developed by BadFly Interactive, BadFly Interactive may collect certain personal customer information, such as name, email address, phone number, home address, birth date, mobile phone number, credit card information, information from customers profile at SNS and other personal or non-personal information.
Later passages indicate that such information can be stored on BadFly Interactive’s Czech servers. However, the developer’s latest statement denies that this is the case with either the PC version of Dead Effect or its sequel.
“Please be aware we have never made such a “dataminig” [sic] statement about any profit of gathering your data. This statement is a hoax and fraud,” the statement says. BadFly maintain that their privacy policy is a general document that covers the mobile versions of their game, and that “We will never collect any information sent outside of the functionality of our Websites/Apps, including through emails or text messages.”
In addition, they claim, “Dead Effect 1 and Dead Effect 2 to for PC do not use these services, so there is no collecting of information.” And, just for good measure, they add “we would like to clarify we have never done, did, do or plan to do any ‘datamining'”.
This isn’t the first time BadFly Interactive have attracted some negative attention. Back in January of this year they were caught sending emails that threatened to withdraw future review code from publications who have Dead Effect 2 negative reviews. “If your review or preview of Dead Effect 2 is very negative, you won’t receive any keys from us in the future,” the emails stated.
