Nintendo has updated its user agreement, formalizing the right to remotely disable Switch consoles if pirated activity or modifications to the device are detected. Whereas previously the company simply prohibited users from modifying, decompiling, or interacting with their account in unauthorized ways, the wording of the agreement has become much stricter.
Image source: Yasin Hasan / Unsplash
The new language in the agreement explicitly states: “You acknowledge that failure to comply with the above restrictions may render Nintendo’s services and/or the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part.” As PCMag reports, the document also includes additional definitions of what you can’t do. This includes any attempt to circumvent, modify, decrypt, damage, or otherwise defeat the functions or security mechanisms of Nintendo’s services.
Image source: pcmag.com
It is noted that the update appeared against the backdrop of the company’s preparations for the launch of the Switch 2 console, the presentation of which is scheduled for June 5. The new device promises a significant increase in productivity and a transition to a digital format of games instead of traditional cartridges. Given this, Nintendo is probably especially concerned about the risks of distributing pirated copies of games and third-party software through modifications.
Recall that the company has previously repeatedly taken a tough stance against piracy, using legal methods to close sites with emulators and ROM files of its old systems. It is not yet clear how exactly cases of hacking or piracy will be detected, but the privacy policy states that “if any error occurs on your device, we collect information about the error, the time it occurred, the applications or features used, the state of the application at the time of the error, and any messages or content provided at that time.”
Nintendo also added a clause about monitoring and tracking audio and video communications between players “with the consent of users and for compliance purposes.” This is in connection with the launch of the Game Chat feature on Switch 2, which will allow video calls during game sessions.