ORIGINAL:

In an update to its end-user license agreement for Windows 10, it appears that Microsoft now has the authority to search your computer for pirated software, whether it is running or not, and disable it.

Despite online services such as Steam or Origin, piracy still plagues the PC gaming community in a very severe way. Since Microsoft is trying to make Windows 10 a key part of its gaming business this update makes a lot of sense.

This is the exact wording of the updated agreement:

According to this paragraph, not only does this affect the more than 53 million users now running Windows 10, but also tablet and smartphone users as well using Windows services. Modded controllers that give players unfair advantages seem to also be a target for this update.

It’s worth noting that it is unclear if this will affect Xbox and illegally obtained Xbox Live content or not, but it seems to be leaning in that direction.

Although this statistic is a few years old, you can clearly see the severity of piracy around the world

Is this an invasion of privacy or a necessary step that needs to be taken in order to fight piracy? Let us know in the comments below!