In a time where privacy and security concerns are on the rise and users are pushing back, Blizzard thought it would be a good idea to force BlizzCon 2019 attendees to download a Spyware app. Blizzard’s event is scheduled for November 2019 and in order to access the event, users need to download “AXS” app that is nothing short of Spyware.
The app is designed to track your location throughout BlizzCon 2019. It can turn on your GPS, access phone camera, contacts, use Bluetooth, change system settings, and much more.
- Contacts
- Read your contacts
- Location
- Approximate location (network-based) precise location (GPS and network-based)
- Camera
- Take pictures and videos
- Wi-Fi connection information
- View Wi-Fi connections
- Receive data from the Internet
- View network connections
- Pair with Bluetooth devices
- Full network access
- Prevent device from sleeping
- Read battery statistics
- Access Bluetooth settings
- Run at startup
- Control vibration
- Modify systems settings
- What ads you clicked while the app is installed
- email address
- Billing address
- Credit Card number
- Device make and model
- Your personal advertising identifier
- IP address
Blizzard will place Bluetooth beacons at Blizzcon 2019 and the full Bluetooth access on your phone allows AXS app to sync with them, tracking your movement at Blizzcon 2019. The app will know where you are even if your GPS is off.
The “adjust systems settings” permission allows AXS app to turn on WiFi, turn on Bluetooth, turn on GPS. Run at startup permission will make sure AXS is always running in the background. Full network access allows the app to send your data such as contacts, location history since the app was installed, and WiFi network data out on the internet.
Nearly all of your personal data will be shared with third-parties such as (but not limited to) Facebook, DoubleClick ads and Google without being anonymized or aggregated including your first and last name.
AXS shares information with a plethora of clients and third-party services. Here’s an excerpt from AXS privacy policy.
We reserve the right to share your Personal Information with our current or future affiliated entities, subsidiaries, and parent companies.
We may also share your Personal Information and other information with trusted third parties, such as our Partners, sponsors, or their affiliates and subsidiaries and other related entities for marketing, advertising, or other commercial purposes, and we may occasionally allow third parties to access certain Sites for marketing purposes.
Your personal information will also be shared with event promoters. Anyone who is attending Blizzcon 2019 is at risk of data harvesting. AXS is one of the most notorious ticking apps on the internet right now and Blizzard is exposing its fan-base to data harvesters.
