Online gaming can be highly sociable and social. As well as offering an opportunity to connect with people we already know, chat windows and features have even proven an effective way of meeting and connecting with new people. Lifelong friendships have been forged by people who have never met in person. But, it also raises concerns over privacy and security. The companies responsible for managing the chat can help ensure some degree of privacy, but much of it comes down to the individual user.
Game Chat 2024.0
Game chat has long been a feature of PC gaming. It also spread to console gaming and mobile gaming. As social media and communication apps have improved, many offer integration with gaming apps. You can play some limited games on messenger applications, while casino telegram games have also become popular, enabling you to automatically place bets from the same app you talk to your contacts. What’s more, player-chatters can handle their crypto payments within the app to fund their gaming sessions or withdraw the winnings in no time. The comfort of not having to leave the app to do all this has already drawn many people to this particular in-app functionality.
Privacy Best Practices
In a lot of cases, gamers assume that the chat they use to communicate with connections is secure. And, for the most part, they’re right. But this isn’t always the case and there are certain best practices you should follow to ensure your online privacy while using in-game chat.
Use Reputable Companies
However, gaming companies and communication companies do attempt to offer secure and private chat to their users. When using messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and the abovementioned Telegram, messages are encrypted before they are sent and decrypted on receipt, but this isn’t possible in public forums like game chats.
Avoid using games and chat apps that you don’t recognize. Always research the software you’re using and the company that made it. In particular, look at their privacy and security policies and look for details of any leaks or other issues in the past. If the software has had vulnerabilities in the past, look for evidence that the company has shored up its privacy defenses.
Public Chat
Public chats are exactly that: public. As such, any information you divulge in chat can be heard, seen, or even recorded by others in the public chat. There is very little that can be done to prevent the loss or theft of data from these chats.
It’s also worth noting that public chats are quite often recorded, in case of dispute or if any complaints are logged in the future. Players do usually have the option to report other players for inappropriate chat and messages and it may be possible to block or mute other people.
Private Chat Options
Private chats are more secure than public chats. They may use end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which means that chat or messages are encrypted before they are sent from one end, and decrypted before being read at the other end using public and private encryption keys.
However, you should check that this is the case if online privacy is important to you, and use a messaging app that is known for its high privacy settings. Gamers should only accept private chat requests from people they trust, however, and never share personal information or private details even in private chat.
Check Platform Settings
Platforms like consoles, cell phones, and PCs have chat and chat privacy features that the user controls. Depending on the platform, this can include restricting certain types of chat, or it can include the ability to disable non-encrypted chats.
Platform settings will usually override any in-game settings, which means if you set your Xbox, for example, to only enable chats with friends and family, you must have a player added to your Xbox friend list to be able to private chat. Platform settings may not restrict in-game lobby chats, though.
Check In-Game Settings
As well as checking the privacy settings of your platform, you should check the privacy settings of all games and other software that you use to communicate. Although your platform settings will override some chat features, this isn’t always true.
Scammers use social engineering and other techniques to convince others to open private chats and divulge sensitive information. Every game and piece of software is slightly different: it handles chat privacy differently, so you may have to dig around to find the settings.
Chat Limitations
No matter your personal and privacy settings in chats, they can only do so much to prevent others from gaining access to personal data. And, while some apps offer end-to-end encryption and other security features, you shouldn’t assume that private chats are secure.
If you leave the game chat to talk on another channel, you lose the protection and privacy offered by that site. For example, Discord is a popular app used by gamers to chat outside the game itself. However, it is not affiliated with the game and is not monitored by the gaming company.
Never Divulge Personal Information
Whether you’re in public or private chat, you should never divulge personal or private information. If you’re in public chat, everybody with access can see what you type and hear what you say, even if their microphone is muted.
Just because you and a friend are the only ones chatting in a Call of Duty lobby does not mean other players can’t read or hear what you’re saying. And, while E2EE messaging is more secure than open chat, people have still had their messages intercepted.
Don’t Share Personal Photos
Game chat is not the place to share personal photos or videos, especially if you don’t really know the other person who is chatting with you. Data criminals will often send explicit and other photos to encourage you to return the favor.
Not only should you avoid sending any personal photos, but avoid sending photos that might contain personal information. A photo of the front of your home could be used to find your address. A photo of your car could be traced back to your address, too. And if photos of the inside of your home contain mail or other information, the recipient might be able to gain all kinds of personal information.
Use Moderated Chat Channels
Most in-game chat channels are open. Even if you can report somebody for foul or abusive language, this doesn’t mean moderators are monitoring the chat at all times. Some games do offer moderated chat options, especially if the games target or are primarily used by children.
Even moderated channels have limitations. Moderators can’t monitor every message on every chat, although they can be alerted to any inappropriate chat activity.
Monitor Your Child’s Chat Usage
No matter how careful you are, if other people in your home don’t follow good privacy practices, it isn’t just them that are in danger.
Ensure your children know online security rules, change settings to ensure they can only chat with friends and people they know, and monitor their usage. You don’t have to read every single message, but ensure that you know who they are talking to and have them inform you if they receive messages from third parties and people they don’t know.
Conclusion
Online chat is a great feature for those who like to play online and multiplayer games. But, for all its benefits, it does raise certain challenges. The biggest challenge of all is how to retain your privacy and ensure your security. Use trusted games, don’t share personal information, and don’t trust people you don’t know while you’re online, no matter how long you’ve both been part of the same clan.
