Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat software installs at the deepest level of your computer's operating system and may collect data about your hardware and other software running on your PC, including when you are not playing.
This analysis describes what Riot Games's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
Kernel-level software has privileged access to your entire system. The fact that it may run and collect data even when the game is not active means your device is being monitored outside of gameplay sessions, which is a meaningful expansion of the typical software data collection scope.
Interpretive note: The notice does not specify which exact data fields Vanguard transmits, the retention period for that data, or the precise conditions under which background operation occurs, leaving meaningful gaps in what users can assess about the actual scope of collection.
Riot Games has restructured how it presents information about data collection and use in its privacy notice. The company narrowed its third-party disclaimer by removing the phrase 'we don't own or control,' replacing it with 'we don't control'—a distinction that may affect which entities the company is claiming it has no privacy responsibility for. For California residents, the notice now consolidates information about categories of personal information and their purposes into a single section rather than splitting them across the document. The practical implication depends on how Riot Games operationally interprets 'control' in relation to its business relationships and how California regulators view this language under CCPA notice requirements.
View change record →If you play Valorant or other Riot games using Vanguard, a kernel-level program may be running on your computer and collecting system information even when you are not gaming. Users should be aware that uninstalling the game may be required to stop this background process.
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"To maintain the integrity of our games, we use anti-cheat software, including software that may run at a kernel level on your device. This software collects information about your computer hardware and software, including information about other software running on your computer, and reports this information to us. This software may run in the background even when you are not actively playing our games.Excerpt from Riot Games's Privacy Notice
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Persistent kernel-level software that collects hardware and software inventory data implicates GDPR Article 5 data minimization and purpose limitation principles, as well as the requirement for a clear lawful basis under Article 6.
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Kernel-level software has privileged access to your entire system. The fact that it may run and collect data even when the game is not active means your device is being monitored outside of gameplay sessions, which is a meaningful expansion of the typical software data collection scope.
If you play Valorant or other Riot games using Vanguard, a kernel-level program may be running on your computer and collecting system information even when you are not gaming. Users should be aware that uninstalling the game may be required to stop this background process.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 278 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Riot Games.