My only problem so far with the gaming media reporting on this (those who have) is that they are simply shaping down the barebones issue and casting it as a non-issue all while peppering in the PR statement on Reddit that reads like a farce. I understand in not wanting to overload your reader with technical mumbo jumbo but at least get the real hard facts out that it isn't just the friends list but cloud data, games played and what games you have. On top of that you have Sweeney saying they know that data is being collected, but that it is okay because *they* aren't sending it back to their servers.
I mean, I can't really take that from face value when you've got PR throwing a statement so blanketed that they completely ignored the fact users have found more than just the friend's list being datamined in hopes of stamping out the fire.
I think they're just so used to the console space and big publishers throwing their weight around. There are so few actual journalists and technical writers in gaming, and so many enthusiasts that are happy to be "in" and receiving attention from publishers. They're just not accustomed to challenging the hand that feeds them, and when those players start throwing their weight around in the PC space they just don't know how to react. Since valve don't really have a strong PR presence they can't compete with the constant assault of information from big players.