[maximilianburke]

    By using Valve's online sites and products, users agree
    that Valve may collect aggregate information, individual
    information, and personally identifiable information, as 
    defined below. Valve may share aggregate information and 
    individual information with other parties. Valve shall not
    share personally identifiable information with other 
    parties, except as described in the policy below.

It doesn't seem like it's much different than Steam. Check out the System Information option from the Help drop-down menu, I don't think it gathers that information by guessing. Steam was also forced onto users with the release of a much-anticipated product -- in Valve's case it was Half Life 2.

[chaostheory]

> But there’s a significant difference. Valve’s policy is self-restricted to anything on your PC directly relating to its own products. EA’s is so broad that it gives the publisher permission to scan your entire hard drive, and report back absolutely anything you may have installed, and indeed when you may use it, and then pass that information on the third parties.

So currently Valve uses that clause mainly to scan for cheats and hacks; EA goes way beyond.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/24/eas-origin-eula-p...

[maximilianburke]

EA also updated Origin's EULA after that article was posted:

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/26/ea-revises-origin-eula-dat...

[pyre]

But not the Privacy Policy.

[chaostheory]

All they changed is the tone of the language, and nothing else.

[darrylb42]

I have seen Steam pop up a dialog that says what they collected and asks if you would like to submit it or not. It does not seem like they submit the information without your explicit consent.