Microsoft Can Be Trusted With Privacy, Says Departing CEO

[BlameTheWizards]

Microsoft Can Be Trusted With Privacy, Says Departing CEO

On his way out the door, Steve Ballmer says your personal data will be just fine.

Snooping, spying and data collection are the talk of the technology world these days, and that includes games. Steve Ballmer, outgoing CEO of Microsoft, even addressed the matter at his last shareholder meeting on Nov. 19, telling investors that the company's phones, tablets, and yes, game consoles, would not be used to gather personal information on customers.

"We all want to live in a country and a world that's safe and secure, but it is a business imperative that we retain the customers' trust in every country around the world," said Ballmer, who has been Microsoft CEO for the last 13 years. "We take a lot of pride at Microsoft about the care we take to respect the privacy concerns of our customers ... Across our industry there are some [who] seem rather bent on trying to use every single piece of personal information they can get so they can target you with more ads." He and executive vice president Brad Smith said Microsoft's commitment to privacy included files such as emails, SkyDrive and cloud storage. While it is easy for Ballmer to say anything given his departure, it should be noted that Microsoft did <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126182-Microsoft-Vows-To-Fight-Government-Spying-Via-Kinect>previously vow to fight the government if it attempts to spy via the Xbox One's Kinect.

The Kinect, with its motion-tracking video camera and voice recognition, has been a specific cause of concern among some consumers since its announcement. At the beginning of November, Microsoft <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129236-Xbox-One-Privacy-Statement-Explains-Kinects-Data-Collection>released an updated privacy statement in regards to how the Kinect collects user data, stating that the compay planned to monitor chat and video communications "to the extent permitted by the law." Likewise, Sony's most recent software usage terms for the PS4 says that the company may <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129507-Sony-Reserves-Right-to-Monitor-and-Record-PS4-User-Communication>monitor and record voice and text communications between PSN users.

Update: It's also worth noting that Microsoft did team up with Google <a href=http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-google-team-sue-federal-government-over-nsa-180635058.html>to sue the federal government to allow them to speak more freely about data collection practices.

Source: <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-11-20-ballmer-you-can-trust-microsoft-with-your-privacy>Eurogamer

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[Fox12]

The mere fact that this power exists means that someone WILL abuse it eventually, in some capacity, somewhere. And if the government did use connect to spy on people, and I'm sure they'd love to, I doubt we'd know about it until it was too late. I find the mere fact that we have to have this discussion disturbing.

As long as the camera can be turned off I can see major problems being avoided, but the idea that the federal government can spy on people in any capacity is disturbing.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I will grant them doing a US alongside Google against the American Federal Gov is nice I notice that they started this after the whole PRISIM scandal broke and not before.

 

[Grabehn]

Wait... Just like Google won't force me into using their social net-shit to get someone even more options to push their advertising? Oh wait... I don't buy a single part of it.

 

[Frezzato]

Um...yeah. Don't know who Microsoft thinks they're fooling, but that's bullshit. MS is just as culpable as everyone else, Google, Yahoo, Sony, everyone. They may not want to be shills for the US government, but they certainly stand to make a lot of money through targeted advertisements.

"... Across our industry there are some [who] seem rather bent on trying to use every single piece of personal information they can get so they can target you with more ads."

Right, right, how many times am I going to have to whip this old chestnut [http://www.geekwire.com/2012/happy-sad-microsoft-system-target-ads-based-emotional-state/] out?

Microsoft may be waving the flag of the right to privacy, but they sure don't mind throwing Doritos and Mountain Dew [http://www.destructoid.com/-dew-and-doritos-teaming-up-with-xbox-one-seriously-255816.phtml] at us, do they?

You want to put ads on your box, that's fine. But don't throw Doritos into our faces and call it privacy.

 

[Objectable]

That's right gamers! I'm trustworthy!
You should make a contract with me, to get a brand new game system!
All it takes is a wish!

 

[Waaghpowa]

Because big companies never lie or go back on their word.

 

[1Life0Continues]

XBOX! Search: Death to America

I was on the fence about getting a console, but now I plan to avoid them altogether. I already have one device in my house that monitors my activity without my consent, I don't need another one.

 

[Roxas1359]

That's right gamers! I'm trustworthy!
You should make a contract with me, to get a brand new game system!
All it takes is a wish!

...I now must request that someone photoshop's Steve Ballmer's head onto Kyubey's body for me to laugh even more. XD

OT: Yeah, I hope you don't mind if I take this with a grain of salt Mr. Ballmer.

 

[FalloutJack]

Pffft, yeah right! Why should we believe you? YOU'RE LEAVING!

Like anyone jumping ship cares what they say...

 

[Something Amyss]

What Ballmer didn't mention is that the only reason he said this is they threatened to leak his private information if I didn't.

The mere fact that this power exists means that someone WILL abuse it eventually, in some capacity, somewhere. And if the government did use connect to spy on people, and I'm sure they'd love to, I doubt we'd know about it until it was too late. I find the mere fact that we have to have this discussion disturbing.

As long as the camera can be turned off I can see major problems being avoided, but the idea that the federal government can spy on people in any capacity is disturbing.

and it's not just the government. Microsoft, Sony, and a lot of other companies have had histories with their security being compromised. Even if they don't just give it out, how safe are we? How secure is the data they collect? How secure is the method by which they collect it?

 

[RandV80]

Really the only positive thing you can say about Microsoft here is that unlike Google ad-revenue isn't their main source of income. They're still a big corporation though and revenue is profits for the shareholders, that's the only thing you can count on really.

 

[Roxas1359]

and it's not just the government. Microsoft, Sony, and a lot of other companies have had histories with their security being compromised. Even if they don't just give it out, how safe are we? How secure is the data they collect? How secure is the method by which they collect it?

It's actually because of all of these leaks that Russia actually started using typewriters again when recording down stuff. Sure the paperwork can be messy and cluttered, but you can't exactly leak it onto the internet and get away with it as easily.

 

[Something Amyss]

It's actually because of all of these leaks that Russia actually started using typewriters again when recording down stuff. Sure the paperwork can be messy and cluttered, but you can't exactly leak it onto the internet and get away with it as easily.

It's funny, because I remember my electronics instructor talking about several other instances in which Russia's solution to high tech issues was to go low tech.

I mean, everyone sort of snickered but....It's not necessarily a bad idea.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Talk is cheap. Microsoft wants us to trust them, they'll have to earn it.

They probably won't.

 

[nodlimax]

You know, this kind of statement always reminds me of the movie Jungle Book and the snake Kaa

Trust in me and nothing bad is going to happen to you. And 5 minutes later they'll screw you over and eat you....

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Who was it again that gave the NSA all the backdoor encryption keys to Windows? Oh that's right, it was Microsoft.

 

[Madman123456]

I actually believe them when they say that they are not planning to use the console or rather the kinect to spy on people.

However, someone will definitely try to hijack the thing to do just that.
How secure will their network be against malware from others?

Now if you'll excuse me, i'll have to pick up my tin foil hat from dry cleaning.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Maybe I'll trust you at a later date Microsoft, but for now I'll wait for some suckers to buy into your console and give some general feedback on it before I lay money down.