The Ministry Of Sony

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
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The Ministry Of Sony


It turns out that PlayStation Network [http://www.sony.com] contains language most people would find very off-putting, if they ever bothered to read the damned thing.

Sony originally updated its TOS and emailed PlayStation Network users about it on October 15, but it's taken a few days for the true import of the changes to be noticed. While many of the changes have apparently been implemented to relieve Sony of all obligation to provide refunds in the event of price reductions or account cancellations, a "Big Brother" clause in the contract is the real cause for concern.

From the new TOS:

However, SCEA reserves the right to monitor and record any online activity and communication throughout PSN and you give SCEA your express consent to monitor and record your activities. SCEA reserves the right to remove any content and communication from PSN at SCEA's sole discretion without further notice to you. Any data collected in this way, including the content of your communications, the time and location of your activities, your Online ID and IP address and other related information may be used by us to enforce this Agreement or protect the interests of SCEA, its users, or licensors. Such information may be disclosed to the appropriate authorities or agencies. Any other use is subject to the terms of the applicable Privacy Policy.

That's not all: By agreeing to the terms, users also give Sony blanket consent to share personal information it collects with unnamed "third parties." Not comfortable with that? Pack up your stuff and go home.

Third parties, including publishers may administer access to some content, including delivery, gameplay or customer service. To enable third parties to provide such access to you, we must provide them with your personal information. If you do not consent to allow us to share your personal information with third parties for the purpose of providing you with access to PSN content, you will not be able to participate in PSN.

Obviously Sony isn't going to be recording every little thing you say and do on PSN and making bi-weekly reports to the Stasi - but it could if it wanted to. More to the point, however, is Sony's claim to the right to do whatever the hell it pleases with regard to your online activities, without even having to give you a heads-up first.

Maybe it's time we all started paying a little more attention to these EULAs?

Sources: Boing Boing [http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/10/20/sony-we-have-the-rig.html], Sony Insider


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ElArabDeMagnifico

New member
Dec 20, 2007
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I hate how I never agreed to this, just because they changed it after I agreed the first time it assumes I do.

I never even got that e-mail...they only sent me a SOCOM: Confrontation promotional thingy.
 

MecaEcco

New member
Jun 30, 2008
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I posted an alert about this yesterday...We need to do something about this...Sony has crossed a line here.
 

TwilightFan182

New member
Oct 22, 2008
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Now, ya see, this is just one more reason why SONY = FAIL in Generation 7. They could have kept their dominance over the gaming market, if only they weren't so damned greedy.
 

Corven

Forever Gonzo
Sep 10, 2008
2,022
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whats the big deal the same thing could be said for other sites and forums I visit
If this is against any rules I'll take this down, just say the word.

Rights
----------------------
Website reserves full rights to information and content posted anywhere within the
Website domain by any of its visitors, members, and staff.

By posting to the forums, or any other sections of this site, you signify agreement that you
are giving Website permission to use, modify, and reproduce your submission, in part or
in whole, in any way, shape, form, or method in which we decide to do so, at any point in
the present or future at our discretion.
see it's not that uncommon to see that in the user agreement, and they have yet to screw over any of their members, the agreement to my knowledge is just to keep their end from being sued for one reason or another.
 

ElArabDeMagnifico

New member
Dec 20, 2007
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I believe this is also in the MS TOS (hence the use of the banhammer on file sharing in games, like Halo 3) but it "wasn't a big deal" because they didn't pull the switcheroo on us.
 

L.B. Jeffries

New member
Nov 29, 2007
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This is probably going to get me yelled at but...have you read The Escapist's policy?

"Themis Media collects personal information when you visit Themis Media property pages or the pages of Themis Media partners, and when you submit user information to a Themis Media site or you use Themis Media products or services. Themis Media may combine information about you that we have with information we obtain from business partners or other companies."

or this humdinger

"Themis Media does not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or nonaffiliated companies except to provide products or services you've requested, when we have your permission, or to the following:

Our business development partners who provide services to Themis Media and its users, who each maintain their own privacy policies.

Advertisers and partners using aggregate anonymous data to profile our collective audience.

Third parties with whom our partners share aggregate anonymous information.

Advertising agencies, consultants, and market research companies pursuant to confidentiality agreements. These companies may use your personal information to help Themis Media communicate with you. However, these companies do not have any independent right to share this information.

Law enforcement, other government officials or third parties to comply with applicable law or legal process or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public, or if a user violates Themis Media's terms of service."

Granted, it's not as bad as Sony's big brother policy, but most people take fair amounts of liberty with their users.

http://www.themis-media.com/content/privacy
 

Retodon8

New member
Jun 25, 2008
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Malygris post=7.74716.843462 said:
Obviously Sony isn't going to be recording every little thing you say and do on PSN and making bi-weekly reports to the Stasi - but it could if it wanted to.
Of course this differs from country to country, but aren't there things like laws that might void stuff like that in some places?
I'm not well-versed in the whole privacy thing, but I'm not so sure Sony can just do this worldwide.
 

smallharmlesskitten

Not David Bowie
Apr 3, 2008
2,645
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Retodon8 post=7.74716.844412 said:
Malygris post=7.74716.843462 said:
Obviously Sony isn't going to be recording every little thing you say and do on PSN and making bi-weekly reports to the Stasi - but it could if it wanted to.
Of course this differs from country to country, but aren't there things like laws that might void stuff like that in some places?
I'm not well-versed in the whole privacy thing, but I'm not so sure Sony can just do this worldwide.
knowing the amount of Lawyers they have (a 5 eggs more than a picnic) they can jsut re-word it slightly and say that it has to be contested under Japanese law
 

Cousin_IT

New member
Feb 6, 2008
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EULAs/TOS' are ultimately just lawyer porn literature neway. Cram as many big ambiguous & important sounding words into an unreadable document as possible & watch their mouths salivate.
 

AceDiamond

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Jul 7, 2008
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Well apparently unwarrented wiretapping has worked out so well for the NSA I guess Sony wanted to jump in on that bandwagon.
 

OuroborosChoked

New member
Aug 20, 2008
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L.B. Jeffries post=7.74716.843670 said:
This is probably going to get me yelled at but...have you read The Escapist's policy?

"Themis Media collects personal information when you visit Themis Media property pages or the pages of Themis Media partners, and when you submit user information to a Themis Media site or you use Themis Media products or services. Themis Media may combine information about you that we have with information we obtain from business partners or other companies."

or this humdinger

"Themis Media does not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or nonaffiliated companies except to provide products or services you've requested, when we have your permission, or to the following:

Our business development partners who provide services to Themis Media and its users, who each maintain their own privacy policies.

Advertisers and partners using aggregate anonymous data to profile our collective audience.

Third parties with whom our partners share aggregate anonymous information.

Advertising agencies, consultants, and market research companies pursuant to confidentiality agreements. These companies may use your personal information to help Themis Media communicate with you. However, these companies do not have any independent right to share this information.

Law enforcement, other government officials or third parties to comply with applicable law or legal process or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public, or if a user violates Themis Media's terms of service."

Granted, it's not as bad as Sony's big brother policy, but most people take fair amounts of liberty with their users.

http://www.themis-media.com/content/privacy
Or Facebook's or Myspace's or... etc.
 

Jumplion

New member
Mar 10, 2008
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darkstone post=7.74716.843624 said:
If this is against any rules I'll take this down, just say the word.

Rights
----------------------
Website reserves full rights to information and content posted anywhere within the
Website domain by any of its visitors, members, and staff.

By posting to the forums, or any other sections of this site, you signify agreement that you
are giving Website permission to use, modify, and reproduce your submission, in part or
in whole, in any way, shape, form, or method in which we decide to do so, at any point in
the present or future at our discretion.
L.B. Jeffries post=7.74716.843670 said:
To avoid Text Wall
As L.B. Jeffries and Darkstone have shown, this is nothing new.

You sign shit like this all the time people, but people are to lazy to actually read the damn TOS and stuff.

The People who are going "They've crossed the line!" or "We have to stop this!" or "This is why I hate Sony" are completely overreacting and don't realize that the Escapist does nearly the exact same thing albiet not as "harsh" or "line crossing" as Sony's is

I highly doubt they'd be listening to your conversations or selling your Hawaiian Vacation photos at an auction, but you are using their platform which they own the rights to and you agreed to the TOS. Facebook has every right to alter your photos and put them on a commercial. You posted your Bank Robbing experience on Myspace, they have every right to give it to the FBI or CIA or whatever. It's nothing new.

People seem to jump on the "Sony Hate Bandwagon" way to quickly nowadays.
 

Amnestic

High Priest of Haruhi
Aug 22, 2008
8,946
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Well apparently unwarrented wiretapping has worked out so well for the NSA I guess Sony wanted to jump in on that bandwagon.
You do know that they don't need a warrant if you agree to it, right?

And you agree to the TOS. So...what was your point again?
 

Rankao

New member
Mar 10, 2008
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Eventually they will have TOS which

"By entering the site, you have sold your soul to me and by Extension to Satin."