This is only semi-rated to game programming. But it's something that has use outside my own.

EA's Origin software (what you need to play battlefield 3 and mass effect 3) will data-mine the hell out of your computer.
Is there any way to say, limit its permissions to files in a specific folder with no access to things like installed programs and stuff like that?

Sorry if this is a bit to off topic... I figured you guys would be smart enough to know how to do this.

Play the console version.

Play the console version.

I don't own a console. Plus the max players and maps are smaller

EDIT:
I know I can lock it down so it can only access certain files by using a special user for that purpose, but I dont know how to keep it from doing other stuff like mining installed programs and such.

I noticed a lot of people bringing up that topic since in the TOS they said they can scan your computer and search for files. Steam has the same thing in their TOS. It's how they collect application data results. I wouldn't worry about it. They're just looking for known hacking software usually.

I'm sure they are mining your computers stats to sell to others mostly.

Steam is quite a bit less invasive.

EDIT:
The hilarious TOS:
https://i4.endofthei.../origineula.png

EDIT2:
I'm not all up-in-arms about it (I'm still gonna play it) but it would be nice to lock it down on general principal.

I'm sure they are mining your computers stats to sell to others mostly.

Steam is quite a bit less invasive.

EDIT:
The hilarious TOS:
https://i4.endoftheinter.net/i/n/7bb18f917fe87ca61df365ac17d15b08/origineula.png

That's pretty much identical to the steam TOS. How do you think this site exists?

That's pretty much identical to the steam TOS. How do you think this site exists?

Voluntary hardware surveys.

Origin has basicly free-reighn on your pc, whereas steam (besides being in more good faith) can only collect somthing if it's directly related to one of their games. (stats etc.)

If you're really concerned about it you could do something like encrypting your whole hard drive/partition using TrueCrypt. But it sounds like a lot of hassle just because of this-- even if EA and Steam scoured my computer, what are they going to find? Games and porn, what a shocker. Aside from that, if you're doing something illegal enough for people to care about then you'd better already be able to handle this sort of thing one way or another, or else you're in for a rough time.

If you're really concerned about it you could do something like encrypting your whole hard drive/partition using TrueCrypt. But it sounds like a lot of hassle just because of this-- even if EA and Steam scoured my computer, what are they going to find? Games and porn, what a shocker. Aside from that, if you're doing something illegal enough for people to care about then you'd better already be able to handle this sort of thing one way or another, or else you're in for a rough time.

Like I said it's more of a general principal thing. I just figured you could run it as a different user but w/e.

[quote name='Sirisian' timestamp='1317500220' post='4868067']
That's pretty much identical to the steam TOS. How do you think this site exists?

Voluntary hardware surveys.
[/quote]

Nope. That's just steam takin ur data.