Club Nintendo users in Europe have been told they will lose their Nintendo “Stars” as well as their membership if they decline the company’s new privacy terms.
Nintendo sent an email to its European users on June 29 and again on July 12 warning them that if they do not agree to the new terms by July 15, their memberships will be canceled. “If you choose to decline our new Privacy Policy,” the email said in part, “you will from [July 15] onward no longer be able to use your Stars in the Stars Catalogue, as we will be forced to deactivate your Nintendo membership.”
The new terms give “permission to gather information about your online activities on our web site and with Nintendo’s products,” a statement from the company said. Nintendo said the new terms were necessary “to allow us to implement additional features on our website, to improve our products and to adapt them to our users’ needs and preferences.”
Under the new policy, Nintendo will track users browsing habits on the website, as well as their use of the Wii system itself. “Nintendo will collect information about the way you use your Wii and the Wii Network Services including, but not limited to, information about the games you download and/or play and how long you play them,” the statement said.
As an incentive for Wii owners, Nintendo will be linking Wii Shop Channel accounts to Club Nintendo, allowing users to redeem Stars for Wii Points and claim Stars for Virtual Console game purchases.
