Epic Games is asking for a lawsuit

[Amaroq_Starwind]

So, it turns out that the Epic Games Launcher has been stealing user data from Steam-related directories and Registry keys, and sending it to Epic, even before they launched their store. It also appears that this is in fact the intended functionality.

Not only does the Epic Games launcher accurately match the description of Spyware or a Trojan, but Epic's behavior is downright illegal. The Steam API exists for a reason!

I have some friends who might wish to share their experiences, but in the meantime I would recommend running the program in a sandbox, enabling both UAC Virtualization and Controlled Folder Access, and cranking up the Windows Defender and MalwareBytes anti-exploit and firewall settings around that program. If you actually use it, I mean.

Otherwise, it may be better to just uninstall it if you have Steam.

[exile360]

Apparently they aren't actually uploading the data unless the user authorizes them to sync up their Steam contacts in the Epic Games app and they're going to address the issue in an upcoming patch according to their most recent statement on the subject.  Refer to the TechSpot article below for details:

Epic Games says its store doesn't mine users' Steam data without permission

I'm no great fan or defender of game companies like Epic with their recent tendency towards fleecing users with overpriced game bundles, 'season passes', and unending micro-transactions that leverage the same impulses that drive people to gamble (especially when targeted towards children who don't know any better), but I think in this case it's not nearly as malicious as initial reports may have suggested.

That said, I've never installed the Epic Games Launcher and I only play games either natively installed or through Steam (I won't even buy/play any Microsoft games due to their lame requirement to sign in with an Xbox Live/Games for Windows Live account no matter how much I might want to play the upcoming Halo releases on Steam for PC for the first time in history since many of them were console exclusives).