From my perspective, there are several serious concerns regarding this application.
First of all, everyone should understand that running a poorly documented third-party application is inherently risky. Users do not know exactly what the application does in the background or when it performs certain actions. The risk becomes even greater when the application requires internet access, as it can theoretically transmit any collected data without the user’s knowledge.
What we can reasonably assume is that the application captures the screen, most likely in the form of screenshots, in order to perform OCR. Even if nothing malicious happens intentionally, there are still legitimate concerns. For example: what if a user has their online banking page open in the background while the game and this application are running? What if the user alt-tabs from the game to a sensitive window? Could such data be captured unintentionally? What happens to those screenshots? Are they stored locally, processed remotely, or sent elsewhere? What exact data is being collected, transmitted, and stored? At the moment, users simply do not know.
Using such an application ultimately requires trusting that its authors have no malicious intentions and that the software behaves exactly as advertised. Each user has to decide whether they trust the people behind StatShark enough to accept that level of risk.
Another major concern is that this application appears to violate Gaijin’s Terms of Service.
3.2.3. No malicious or deceiving use
- employ any third-party software that interferes with the Game(s) in any way, unless explicitly authorized by Gaijin for that specific Game(s) or related Service(s)
Technically, we do not know whether Gaijin has authorized this application, but there is no public indication that such authorization exists, which makes this highly questionable.
3.2.3. No malicious or deceiving use
- use software (such as bots or mods) that automates gameplay, alters the game’s mechanics or functionality, provides an unfair advantage over other players who do not use such software, or otherwise disrupts the intended game experience for you or any other player
It is difficult to argue that this application does not provide an advantage. That is, in fact, the primary reason for using it. Without such software, accessing and processing this information during a battle would be significantly harder. As a result, users of this application gain an advantage over players who do not use it. This also disrupts the intended gameplay experience, as decisions in battle can be influenced by external information.
8.1.3. Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the Service(s) or another User’s Account or collecting information through the Service(s) not explicitly permitted under the Terms and Conditions.
This application clearly performs automated information collection. Screen capturing combined with OCR is, by definition, a form of automated data collection, and the game does not explicitly permit this kind of real-time data extraction.
A further issue is that some players will likely use this application regardless of these concerns. If Gaijin ultimately considers this software harmful or rule-breaking, the consequences will most likely affect the users rather than the developers. In such cases, arguments like “I found this application on the internet and did not realize it violated the rules” historically do not protect accounts from penalties.
If Gaijin intended players to see detailed ratings or performance indicators of all participants during a battle, such information would likely already be available on the in-game scoreboard. The fact that it is not suggests a deliberate design choice, possibly to avoid toxic behavior, targeted harassment, or premature match abandonment based on perceived team strength.
Finally, it is also worth noting that this application is effectively pay-to-use, as access is limited to Patreon supporters. This raises an additional concern under the Terms of Service:
3.2.5. No Commercial Use:
- use the Game(s) or any part of it for commercial purposes, including but not limited to (1) engaging with or facilitating commercial advertising or offers or (2) transferring In-Game Items through means other than those explicitly provided by the Game(s) or other Gaijin Service(s).
At the very least, this particular issue would fall on the side of the application’s authors rather than its users, but it further strengthens the argument that the project operates in a legally and ethically questionable space.