This a privacy question. Midas Magic mod contains advertising but I think the mod uses only local files.

I think I should block Skyrim in firewall for just in case.

No, they can't.

How much is the help worth ?

Okay I'm joking, I do not know about that mod never used it, but if you use anything which comes with an installer, or a .dll file, or .jar files, they can be executeable, and its not beyond the realm of possibility that the software could have another agenda.

Now that paid for mods has been brought into play, malmods could become a thing quite easily ( even before that occasionally there are attempts to upload such crap on nexus for instance ), especially if hosted on a new site.

I think it would be very hard to implement malware on mods on the new paywall though, they consist of an esp and a bsa, the plugin could not be made to trigger anything, scripts in the bsa activating something via something else .. Doubt it.

No need to block Skyrim, these messages are scripted.

Now I have blocked skse_loader.exe, SkyrimLauncher.exe and TESV.exe. Please do the same.

No need to!

There is no such thing in the Game script.

Okay, people who use this mod and don't believe me can still unplug their computer from the internet and launch the game. The ads will still pop up, proving that mods cannot connect to the internet. How is that?

Even if mods can't do that now, I wouldn't put it past some Corporate slime like Valve and Bethesda to implement something like that in the next game they make, for paid mods.

Maybe, but it's not the case now.

And I'm quite thankful that there's no such framework in place for Skyrim, and I cherish that. I'll guess we'll just have to see how they react to the community they have enraged.

Using Hosts file is generally the best solution to prepare.

I am sure SKSE will help the poor mod authors out ... (only joking ... hopefully .... )

There's no need to...

Christ guys you just enjoy making yourselves miserable and fearmongering this, don't you?

Perhaps, but thinking ahead... helps? No, that doesn't sound right... :/