Spyware Left Behind in Religious Video Game

The Anti-Christ's dark influence may have already poisoned "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," a new real-time strategy game based on the best-selling Christian book series. The game allows you to "conduct physical and spiritual warfare: using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops." (Source: LeftBehindGames.com)

But the power of prayer won't protect you if you install Left Behind: it comes bundled with a special bonus feature: hidden Spyware that cannot be blocked or uninstalled.

It tracks your every move:

• How often you play
   
• The duration of each game session
   
• What time of the day you play
   
• Where you go in the game (Times Square, Soho, Chinatown, and the United Nations Building are some of the locations available)
   
• It also knows where your computer is located and taps into your personal information. (Source: Arstechnica.com)
   
• And most importantly: it has control over the product placements and video ads viewed during gameplay. (Source: Talk2Action.org)

The company behind the intrusive software, "Double Fusion," describes itself as "the leading independent provider of in-game advertising and marketing solutions worldwide." (Source: DoubleFusion.com)

Ironically, Double Fusion is based in Israel: a country described as the "Holy Land" in the "Left Behind" books. However, there is nothing holy about the company's agenda. (Source: Talk2Action.org)

From Double Fusion's Web site:

"Double Fusion gives game publishers the next generation in-game advertising the technology, knowledge and sales solutions that help unlock the full revenue potential of their games and take advantage of the new gaming marketplace." (Source: DoubleFusion.com)

In other words, Double Fusion litters its games with obtrusive advertisements and unwanted Spyware.

What happens if you play as a member of the Anti-Christ's army in the game? Will Double Fusion try to add you to a database of "non-believers"? A facetious question, obviously, but companies can do anything with the data they accumulate from Spyware.

In the "Left Behind" books, "non-believers" eventually receive the "Mark of the Beast": an irremovable symbol that damns them as hell bound heathens with no hope of eternal salvation.

Perhaps Spyware companies deserve to suffer the same fate?