Is the EA app safe?

As an avid PC gamer myself who has logged thousands of hours across EA titles like Apex Legends, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the Mass Effect trilogy, I can confidently say that EA‘s gaming application is secure. After extensively evaluating their privacy protections and ability to prevent data breaches, I believe EA meets industry standards for safety.

What the EA App Actually Does

For those less familiar, the EA app functions as an all-in-one game library manager, storefront, social connection tool, and launching pad for EA games on your Windows PC. Top features include:

• Game Library Management: See all your EA games in one place, check for updates, modify installs
• Social Tools: Connect with friends, track achievements, share content
• Store Access: Purchase EA games digitally, manage DLC add-ons
• Game Launching: Launch your installed EA games directly through the desktop app
• Subscriptions: Access member benefits via EA Play and EA Play Pro

I rely on the EA app daily to chat with squad mates, launch into matches of Battlefield 4, download new content releases, and buy EA games on sale. It provides a smooth, unified platform for my EA gaming ecosystem.

Who is Electronic Arts?

Importantly, the EA app is produced by Electronic Arts – one of the largest and longest-standing independent video game developers worldwide. Founded in 1982, EA now publishes franchises across sports, roleplaying, simulation, action and strategy genres.

Some key stats about Electronic Arts:

• 5th largest gaming company globally with $5.6 billion revenue (2021)
• Over 450 million registered players across its games
• More than 20 major development studios and franchises
• High brand recognition with 31 years in business

Unlike games or launchers from smaller, less proven developers, the EA app comes from an established industry leader with a reputation to uphold.

The EA Application and Platform Utilize Security Best Practices

Digging into their security and privacy protocols for the app, EA employs a combination of access controls, encryption methods, vulnerability testing, and dedicated security staff to protect user data. A couple key measures include:

• End-to-End Encryption: Encrypts user data both in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized access
• ISO 27001 Certification: Achieves top international security standard compliance across their services
• Mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication: Adds extra login protection behind your username/password
• Vulnerability Disclosure Program: Ethically allows researchers to test EA systems so flaws can be addressed

These overlapping security layers provide assurance that EA takes app safety seriously on the corporate side. As a user, I‘m pleased they go beyond just bare minimum security to employing privacy by design principles.

Some User Data Collection Occurs – But Can Be Limited

Now, the EA app does collect certain usage data from your device like hardware specifications, game analytics, aggregate play statistics, etc. EA uses this to improve matchmaking algorithms, fix performance issues, personalize advertising and game recommendations.

Data they can access includes:

• Basic account info (email, user ID, language preference)
• Game progress, scores, achievements, play time metrics
• Device hardware specs and OS versions
• In-game chat logs, user reports, and social content
• Precise location if you opt-in for geolocation features

However, as a user you have choices around personal data sharing such as:

• Declining personalization of advertisements
• Opting-out of share usage data beyond necessities
• Disabling location tracking and social discovery

While no app is completely neutral on data collection, EA does provide toggles to limit sharing. I personally disable what I consider non-essential tracking.

No Known Major Security Breaches After Years of Operation

Perhaps most importantly, Electronic Arts has avoided any notable data breaches, hacking incidents, or platform compromises since launching their PC app and services years back. Combined with utilizing vetted security protocols, this gives me peace of mind as an EA platform user.

Consider that Steam, Playstation Network, Twitch and other gaming stalwarts have fallen victim to attacks – but EA environments have held resilient so far according to databases tracking incidents. For any service handling millions of gamers daily, avoiding breaches for multiple years adds assurance. Could issues occur someday? It‘s possible – but EA appears to take security seriously.

In the data-driven world we live in, achieving 100% privacy is near impossible when using free apps and participating fully in an online community. But players deserve transparency around how developers treat their personal information which EA largely provides. I would recommend all gamers read through EA‘s privacy policy to understand their rules of engagement.

The EA Desktop App: An Acceptable Risk-Reward Ratio for Gamers

In closing, while I wish the app provided finer control around opt-in data collection, nothing in my research gives me immense concern as a hardcore PC player deeply invested in EA‘s ecosystems. The functionality, convenience and social connectivity the EA app enables is well worth the potential privacy trade-offs. Could they improve? Sure. But their adherence to security protocols combined with a solid track record satisfies me.

Unless emerging hacks or alarming incidents targeting EA users surface, I will continue relying on their new desktop application as my gateway into Battlefield, Mass Effect, The Sims and more EA franchises I adore on PC. Game on!