Privacy and Online Security - Pokerstars?

MattRyder

MattRyder

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We were chatting about "privacy" and "security" in another thread when an e-mail appeared from pokerstars threatening to take "stern" action against me for running "prohibited" software. I had quit playing the Cardschat tournament maybe 20 minutes ago and had forgotten to close the Pokerstars client (which admittedly I do a lot). I started Poker Cruncher to analyze some hands for another CardsChat post when the offending offshore e-mail appeared.

I for one am getting annoyed knowing that an offshore gambling company is actively searching my computer. If the FBI or RCMP or INTERPOL or some other law enforcement agency did that we'd all scream "FOUL!" So why do we let an offshore gambling company do it?

We'll see if they take my suggestion and ban me.


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That doesn't sound unusual. If you agreed to their Terms and Conditions during their software installation, you probably gave permission for their software to monitor for forbidden third-party tools.

I see that all the time with mobile installations. IOS (I can't speak for Android) pops up a notice that software X wants access to your camera, contacts, etc. It would be nice if Windows would do that but for now, you have to read the company's T&C and Privacy agreements if you don't want them invading your privacy.

Sometimes you have no choice if they are the monopoly. If you don't agree to their T&C and Privacy agreements, you can't install their software. So you either agree and install or don't.

If you want to see a bad agreement, read Peacock's (NBC's new streaming service) Privacy agreement. Unless it has changed, you basically give them access to everything on your computer, even unfinished web forms.

While I'm at it, I'll point out a worse situation: installing software that requires you to use an administrator account to use the software. (The last one I remember is Flopzilla.) In that scenario, you have zero privacy and control and the software can install any program it wants.
 
MattRyder

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That doesn't sound unusual. If you agreed to their Terms and Conditions during their software installation, you probably gave permission for their software to monitor for forbidden third-party tools.

I see that all the time with mobile installations. IOS (I can't speak for Android) pops up a notice that software X wants access to your camera, contacts, etc. It would be nice if Windows would do that but for now, you have to read the company's T&C and Privacy agreements if you don't want them invading your privacy.

Sometimes you have no choice if they are the monopoly. If you don't agree to their T&C and Privacy agreements, you can't install their software. So you either agree and install or don't.

If you want to see a bad agreement, read Peacock's (NBC's new streaming service) Privacy agreement. Unless it has changed, you basically give them access to everything on your computer, even unfinished web forms.

While I'm at it, I'll point out a worse situation: installing software that requires you to use an administrator account to use the software. (The last one I remember is Flopzilla.) In that scenario, you have zero privacy and control and the software can install any program it wants.
They sent me back an e-mail telling me to create a batch file to close all "prohibited" software before opening Stars. The said they won't take a screenshot of my banking transactions.

They said that most of their clients are very happy to have their computers scanned to cut down on cheating. I have no idea how you could cheat using Poker Cruncher, but for whatever reason it's on their black list. I also really doubt that most clients are very happy to have an offshore gambling company continuously scanning their computers.

All in all, of course I'm super happy with the response.

You're right though. They all have these crazy long terms that virtually nobody reads. It doesn't matter whether you read them or not, they provide a service that you can't access unless you give them authorization to scan your computer continuously (whether you knew you did or not).
 
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Almost certainly they are not scanning your computer from offshore. Most likely the client is watching for any of the prohibited programs. If it finds one, it then "phones home" and triggers the email you received.
 
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pjokay

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Hi Rowdy

The problem is people use prohibited software for cheating so I think they have to give stern warnings. While your case is a mistake and I have done the same once, completely by accident as it does not even seem to be matter if you are not even in a game as long as the client is open.

I would love to know how they detect it but I think you are worried about the worst case scenario but I really do not think they can browse your machine the way you are thinking. It may be the client picks up other services but I do not think they can browse your computer as such. They obviously have sort sort of mechanism to detect the other software is running but I don't think they have carte blanche access to your machine and can browse your documents etc.

There have been some high stakes scams of people using products like pio solver while playing.
 
najisami

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Hi Rowdy

The problem is people use prohibited software for cheating so I think they have to give stern warnings. While your case is a mistake and I have done the same once, completely by accident as it does not even seem to be matter if you are not even in a game as long as the client is open.

I would love to know how they detect it but I think you are worried about the worst case scenario but I really do not think they can browse your machine the way you are thinking. It may be the client picks up other services but I do not think they can browse your computer as such. They obviously have sort sort of mechanism to detect the other software is running but I don't think they have carte blanche access to your machine and can browse your documents etc.

There have been some high stakes scams of people using products like pio solver while playing.

Hey pjokey,
I'm sorry man, but they do have a built-in software that scans your computer for any prohibited tools as soon as you open their client. I don't think it's a bad thing anyway, it's a measure of protection against cheating.
 
najisami

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We were chatting about "privacy" and "security" in another thread when an e-mail appeared from Pokerstars threatening to take "stern" action against me for running "prohibited" software. I had quit playing the Cardschat tournament maybe 20 minutes ago and had forgotten to close the Pokerstars client (which admittedly I do a lot). I started Poker Cruncher to analyze some hands for another CardsChat post when the offending offshore e-mail appeared.

I for one am getting annoyed knowing that an offshore gambling company is actively searching my computer. If the FBI or RCMP or INTERPOL or some other law enforcement agency did that we'd all scream "FOUL!" So why do we let an offshore gambling company do it?

We'll see if they take my suggestion and ban me.


ed66dbd0bb7d8f9d0dacb3f1c0a2a1f8.png

Hey Rowdy,
First of all, we all have given them the permission to scan our computers for any "prohibited" tools, which they do as soon as we open their client, just not from offshore like you seem to think.
And then I want to point out that there are a lot of tools (software) that they allow you to use, pokertracker for instance. You can actually ask them to send you a list of all the Apps you can use as well as the prohibited ones.
 
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pjokay

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Hey pjokey,
I'm sorry man, but they do have a built-in software that scans your computer for any prohibited tools as soon as you open their client. I don't think it's a bad thing anyway, it's a measure of protection against cheating.


Hiya najisami

I realise they detect it, and indeed think it's a good thing, but do not think it's as bad as the OP thinks and they can openly look at you machine. For instance I do not think if you had your banking passwords stored on your machine (bad idea!) I do not think they could see them.

It may be a scan as you say and would like to know myself or it may detect their processes but they do not publish how they detect this. I think to openly scan your machine though and be able to see all your files would require some sort of agreement with them but I don't think it is a scan as such as it instantly picks up the software, not at different intervals.

I realise they have a way of detecting it, I just do not think they have access of going through everything on your machine.
 
willjosp

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I don't believe in 100% security and privacy on pokerstar but it is a very good page where one can play quietly,They have been using this online platform for a long time and it is a very good page:D:D:D:D
 
najisami

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Hiya najisami

I realise they detect it, and indeed think it's a good thing, but do not think it's as bad as the OP thinks and they can openly look at you machine. For instance I do not think if you had your banking passwords stored on your machine (bad idea!) I do not think they could see them.

It may be a scan as you say and would like to know myself or it may detect their processes but they do not publish how they detect this. I think to openly scan your machine though and be able to see all your files would require some sort of agreement with them but I don't think it is a scan as such as it instantly picks up the software, not at different intervals.

I realise they have a way of detecting it, I just do not think they have access of going through everything on your machine.

Oh I totally agree. They certainly cannot take a peek into everything you have. Their software is only capable of detecting what's been programmed to detect.
 
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