They specifically state "related" information. If they cross this invicible line it would be dealed with within privacy law.
Whatever this related information is though, is the shady part. We as customers are not aware of what sort of information they are after and gather.
Related to what? See, the point is, these EULAs are so wide-ranging that it is hard to draw the line. What keeps them from scanning things that are not game related? They didn´t say that they´ll only collect "BF3 related information", but instead their EULAs say that they can have access to your whole hardware and software.
The "invisible line" you´re talking about isn´t really a "line" anymore, but merely gets blurred and grey, since there´s no restriction.
Steam on the other hand collects data, too, that´s correct. But they clearly state in their EULAs that they need a users permission to handle personal information and if a user declines the data won´t be used (for example the surveys, Steam does from time to time). Additionally Steam limits itself to Steam related data (as the article says, and as the Steam EULAs say), whereas Origins EULAs are general. That´s the main difference.
He/she makes it sound like theyre checking when and with you your having sex with. Whilst the agreement is aiming at online game behaviour, system specifications and what not.
Of course they´re not spying into their costumers bed rooms and I know that services, such as Amazon and Google already send you personalized advertisements, but they do that because of your shpopping/browsing behaviour (
passive use of user submitted data) and not because they scan your harddrive, find out that you like certain things because of what you´ve got stored on your HD and use this
actively collected data to send you advertisements. I hope you understand the difference and how Origin´s shady EULAs can actually intrude into your privacy.