I'm really new to programming but care a lot about my privacy. I'm looking to see if an open source game collects MAC addresses, since some developers are known to mismanage privacy and leak identifying information. I know that using a VPN might help, but I want to make sure I have the right one. As I'm scrolling through the code on GitHub, I've been told to look for the term 'MAC'—does that really help? I'm also aware that IP addresses and OS information get logged, so I'd appreciate guidance on what specific keywords or parts of the code I should focus on, especially since it's a lot to sift through. Thanks for any pointers!
4 Answers
If you're not familiar with reading code, it’s tough to verify the codebase. You might not catch everything just by searching for the word "MAC". It’s better to learn some basic coding skills to give you a fighting chance at understanding what the code does overall. Just a heads-up! Maybe start with small tutorials online that can help you get a grip.
A VPN isn't going to protect your MAC address if the game is running locally. For remote software, your MAC isn’t exposed, so a VPN won’t help there either. When scanning the code for potential privacy issues, be aware that malicious elements might not be obvious, and if you're not building the code from source, you might be vulnerable anyway. Just some thoughts!
Honestly, worrying about your MAC address might be a bit overblown. Most devices, especially if they’re behind a router, can randomize their MAC addresses. Your public IP can change frequently too. If you're concerned, you could always spoof your MAC address, but just keep in mind that it's not always a security silver bullet.
If privacy is your main concern, maybe just control the application’s network access using firewall settings. That way, you can prevent the game from contacting the outside world. And remember, MAC addresses aren't as useful in terms of tracking as you might think; not many folks understand them, which works to your advantage!
True! The risk of detecting multiple accounts on the same machine exists, but if the software is to be trusted, they shouldn't be doing that. You can also check how the specific coding language fetches MAC addresses, since there are numerous methods. Just searching for 'MAC' won't uncover everything.
Thanks for the insight! Seems like there's a lot more to consider than just a simple search.