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[Wooster]

How does this work then?

2.    Clear GIFs And Tracking Pixels

Clear GIFs (a.k.a. web bugs, beacons or tags) are small graphic images placed on a web page, web-based document, or in an email message. Clear GIFs are invisible to the user because they are typically very small (only 1-by-1 pixel) and the same color as the background of the web page, document or email message. We do not use clear GIFs to collect personal information about you. However, we may use clear GIFs to capture statistical usage information for our web pages, features or other elements on a web page. We correlate this information to a user to personalize user experience and for statistical analysis of user experiences on our web pages.

We and third parties may also use tracking pixels, which allow us [...] identifying the source of a new installation.


So they are saying on the one hand that they don't use them to collect personally identifiable information, but on the other that they use them to personalise the users experience (oh, and to detect 'a new installation').
So how do they manage to personalise the users experience without collecting personally identifiable information in the first place?
And new installation of what?

[keasy]

They aren't using' personal information' they are correlating statistical info like websites, games played, etc I assume. That's not personal information it's usage stats.
Same as Gmail I guess. They don't correlate info about your personal info it's your habits they're interested in.

[Wooster]

The incidental information (like I.P addresses, EA login details) they collect is covered, but I don't understand how they can say that they use clear gifs on their website to personalise user experience without identifying the user in the first place.

That's minor though.
What I'd really like to know is what they mean by 'identifying the source of a new installation'?
A new installation of what? They don't specify, so it could be anything you have recently installed on your system by the look of it.
(there's also a bit in there that mentions they collect information about 'media' on your system, but that's a really wide term that could mean anything from a network connection to a music file)


(I see they've also kept the clause waiving the rights of users in the USA to a trial by jury)


Long story short, I was never that keen on it and I've uninstalled it.
(Apologies to my brother who queued for 45 minutes in Gamestation to buy me it for Chrimbo.   )