Ubisoft cleans up long-term inactive users based on GDPR requirements

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Did you know that certain accounts will be automatically cleaned up if they are not used for a long time? Don’t be surprised, this usage policy is a common phenomenon in current Internet services. For example, the Google account will be deleted if it is not logged in for a long time, and all the data stored in the Google web hard drive and Google mailbox will also be deleted irretrievably. What is more surprising is that there are even game platforms that have this kind of policy. Some users complain that their Ubisoft account has not been logged in for a long time and all games have been emptied.

A few days ago, some Norwegian gamers complained that their Ubisoft account could not be logged in normally. After resetting the password and logging in to the account, they found that the games they purchased were automatically emptied.

“In 2020, I sold my PC because I was gaming way too much and it went a bit over the healthy way of doing it. I made a choice to work and attend school,” a Norwegian gamer named Tor, who wished to be identified only by his first name, told PCWorld. So Tor tried to log in to their Ubisoft game account. First, the account could not be logged in. After the password was retrieved through the mailbox, the account could log in but the game disappeared.

The reason for the disappearance of the game is that Ubisoft, as a long-term inactive user, automatically closes the player’s account and cleans up the data, so even if the account assets are retrieved, it cannot be restored. The netizen checked the email and found that Ubisoft had indeed sent a notification. In the notification, Ubisoft stated that the account was disabled. If the link is not clicked for a month, the account will be cleared. It’s worth noting that the netizen’s reply after contacting Ubisoft’s customer service is that the company cannot resume any games, because this is the content stipulated in Ubisoft’s terms of service.

Tor said Ubisoft sent only a single email warning of inactivity and account deletion. Right-mouse click and select open in new tab to see original file.

Based on the EU General Data Protection Regulation, Ubisoft will clean up inactive accounts and their data, that is, the provider must clean up the saved data after a long period of non-use. “Please be reassured that Ubisoft does not automatically close inactive accounts,” the support page says. “However, per our Terms of Use, in rare instances we can take action to comply with some local data protection legislation. This is only if we have strong reasons to believe that the account in question will remain unused. We may also close long-term inactive accounts to maintain our database. You will be notified by email if we begin the process of closing your inactive account.”

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