Switch 2 camera owners may be concerned about Nintendo's privacy policy update
A new privacy policy update gives Nintendo permission to "monitor reported audio and video recordings of your chat sessions with other users"
🤔 Nintendo's privacy policy update allows monitoring of reported audio and video recordings in GameChat
👉 GameChat enables online chats and video sharing for Switch 2 Camera owners
👮♂️ The policy update aims to create a safe, family-friendly environment but raises privacy concerns
✍️ Users should review privacy settings and consider disabling voice/video for sensitive conversations
One of the most prominent new features of Nintendo Switch 2 is GameChat. It lets users chat online and even share video if you have the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera.
However, ahead of the console's launch on June 5, Nintendo has updated its privacy policy with a new clause.
In an email sent out to Nintendo Account holders, Section 2 of the privacy policy (What Information We Collect and Process) has been updated to inform users that Nintendo may collect and process additional data, including "when you use certain new Nintendo Account Services." GameChat is one of those services.
Nintendo included "collecting your phone number" as one example of what it may collect and process. The Japanese company also said it would "monitor reported audio and video recordings of your chat sessions with other users to provide a safe and family-friendly environment for GameChat".
Section 3 (3.3) provides a more comprehensive explanation of why Nintendo may need to monitor audio or video calls.
If you give your consent and use certain functions of the Nintendo Account Service, communication content, such as video and voice chats, may be recorded and stored on your User Device for a limited period of time (see section 2.4).
If you encounter any language or behaviour that may violate applicable laws, the Nintendo Account Agreement or NOE’s Community Guidelines, you may review the last 3 minutes of the relevant recorded communication content on your User Device and report it to NCL.
In this case, the communication content, if it was stored on the User Device, and other information about the chat session (e.g. time and date of the chat, camera usage and traffic details) will be transmitted to NCL's servers.
In order to support a safe and family-friendly online environment and to detect violations of the Nintendo Account Agreement and other harmful or illegal interactions, Nintendo may analyse the communication content and data transmitted and, if necessary, compare it with other data (such as the previous verification history and other Nintendo Account information of the user concerned).
Under certain circumstances, Nintendo may also disclose specific information to third parties, such as authorities, courts or lawyers. The legal basis for this data processing is your consent (Art. 6 para. 1(a) GDPR). If you do not agree to the above data processing or withdraw your consent, you will not be able to use the corresponding Nintendo Account Service anymore. The same applies if you – as the holder of parental responsibility, having registered a Nintendo Account on behalf of your child – refuse or withdraw your consent to the processing of your child's data.
While Sony and Microsoft do not actively monitor voice calls or chat, both companies allow users to record audio clips. These clips can be sent to PlayStation and Xbox moderation teams to report inappropriate behavior.
Nintendo’s updated policy sounds like a similar deal, though the presence of being recording on camera makes it slightly more concerning. Basically, it allows potential monitoring to ensure safety, mainly through user-initiated reports.
You may want to be careful about what you say or share on GameChat before you've reviewed the new privacy settings fully, or strictly play with people you know, like friends and family. You could also consider disabling voice/video features for sensitive conversations.
GameChat is free to all Nintendo Switch 2 owners until March 31, 2026. After that date, it will only be available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. You can activate GameChat by pressing the C button on the Joy-Con 2 controllers or the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.