Xbone to sell user's biometric data to advertisers.

[TheEvilGenius]

Microsoft has dug themselves into one of these.

Spoiler

But in all seriousness, it's not like the majority of consumers will know or give a crap about this revelation. If MS is as diabolical as they're coming off, they'll put the consent to this in the user license agreement and thus force all XBone users to accept to it. Needless to say, Yey 4 Sony!

 

[mokes310]

So, let's this as reason #2,145,723,567 not to buy the xbone. I rather not be bombarded with male enhancement pill commercials just because my console detects a "hormone imbalance." I have the feeling this feature will be, by default, to be on, and the only warning most people will get will be in the EULA.

Doesn't your internet browsing history and spam folder not already indicate such an imbalance?

OT: I totally agree with you, but I understand why they're doing it. This is just one of those instances where I'll vote with my money and not purchase an XBOX.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Last week, Xbox director of product planning Albert Penello said this kind of biometric data does not leave the local Xbox One console unless people allow it to and that Kinect was not designed with advertising in mind.

There we go.

Is it dodgy that Microsoft want to collect this data from us? Yes. Will this data be used without our consent? No.

End of story.

Oh, but you will give consent. Several people have already stated exactly how they will get your consent. And you won't even know you gave your consent. It will be in the EULA that you have to agree to in order to use the system. You know it. It's about 53 pages long and you haven't read one all the way through in your entire life. It's going to be buried in that. Probably about halfway, so that it won't be too easy for anyone to find.

Of course, you'll be free to not sign the EULA. But you will, at the minimum, lose a lot of the system's features. At the worst, the system will be a brick.

So, yes, you will have to give them permission. But, in all likelihood, you won't even know that you did. Best case scenario, you would have to find the option to not give them permission. Which means you would have to know they were going to do that in the first place and then find something that they probably won't make obvious.

I have no intention of giving consent what-so-ever. Knowing that the Kinect unit was used for this purpose, I was one of those who pushed for Microsoft to remove the mandatory Kinect in the first place, and as Microsoft have reduced the Kinect to a peripheral unit I fully intend to connect my Xbone without said unit - completely eliminating the sensor with which Microsoft intend to gather said data.

I view this 'development' in exactly the way I view Steam, which is to say both systems would like to garner info from me but both offer an 'opt-out' clause. At the end of the day, this story is ultimately about is re-assuring investors, not pacifying gamers.

 

[Saltyk]

Last week, Xbox director of product planning Albert Penello said this kind of biometric data does not leave the local Xbox One console unless people allow it to and that Kinect was not designed with advertising in mind.

There we go.

Is it dodgy that Microsoft want to collect this data from us? Yes. Will this data be used without our consent? No.

End of story.

Oh, but you will give consent. Several people have already stated exactly how they will get your consent. And you won't even know you gave your consent. It will be in the EULA that you have to agree to in order to use the system. You know it. It's about 53 pages long and you haven't read one all the way through in your entire life. It's going to be buried in that. Probably about halfway, so that it won't be too easy for anyone to find.

Of course, you'll be free to not sign the EULA. But you will, at the minimum, lose a lot of the system's features. At the worst, the system will be a brick.

So, yes, you will have to give them permission. But, in all likelihood, you won't even know that you did. Best case scenario, you would have to find the option to not give them permission. Which means you would have to know they were going to do that in the first place and then find something that they probably won't make obvious.

I have no intention of giving consent what-so-ever. Knowing that the Kinect unit was used for this purpose, I was one of those who pushed for Microsoft to remove the mandatory Kinect in the first place, and as Microsoft have reduced the Kinect to a peripheral unit I fully intend to connect my Xbone without said unit - completely eliminating the sensor with which Microsoft intend to gather said data.

I view this 'development' in exactly the way I view Steam, which is to say both systems would like to garner info from me but both offer an 'opt-out' clause. At the end of the day, this story is ultimately about is re-assuring investors, not pacifying gamers.

Well, you could always buy the PS4. Thus you wouldn't be forced to pay for something you aren't going to use.

Also, I'm really not clear on whether Kinect is mandatory or not. And honestly, as I said in a previous post, I don't think Microsoft is either. They seem to contradict this point every other day.

If you really have to have a Xbone, why don't you wait on the purchase? I heard a rumor that they will have a version without the Kinect next year. Not sure if that is true or not. But, it would certainly be a better option for you, if true.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

So, let's this as reason #2,145,723,567 not to buy the xbone. I rather not be bombarded with male enhancement pill commercials just because my console detects a "hormone imbalance." I have the feeling this feature will be, by default, to be on, and the only warning most people will get will be in the EULA.

Doesn't your internet browsing history and spam folder not already indicate such an imbalance?

OT: I totally agree with you, but I understand why they're doing it. This is just one of those instances where I'll vote with my money and not purchase an XBOX.

*Deletes history and removes cookies*

I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Oh look, right on top of the page:

[UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb provided a statement on the matter through Twitter.

"FYI: We are seeking a correction to the Ad Age story that quotes Yusuf," he wrote. "Tl;dr We do not collect information to share or sell. You are fully in control of your personal data. Your privacy is important to us."

And not just that, this is a rather old story. So there's no real reason to bring this up again. And further, Kinect can be disconnected.

And FURTHER, for those who say Microsoft was the first to sign up, maybe they were contacted FIRST.

Eh, why do I even bother? What some people really want is just any reason to bash Microsoft.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Last week, Xbox director of product planning Albert Penello said this kind of biometric data does not leave the local Xbox One console unless people allow it to and that Kinect was not designed with advertising in mind.

There we go.

Is it dodgy that Microsoft want to collect this data from us? Yes. Will this data be used without our consent? No.

End of story.

Oh, but you will give consent. Several people have already stated exactly how they will get your consent. And you won't even know you gave your consent. It will be in the EULA that you have to agree to in order to use the system. You know it. It's about 53 pages long and you haven't read one all the way through in your entire life. It's going to be buried in that. Probably about halfway, so that it won't be too easy for anyone to find.

Of course, you'll be free to not sign the EULA. But you will, at the minimum, lose a lot of the system's features. At the worst, the system will be a brick.

So, yes, you will have to give them permission. But, in all likelihood, you won't even know that you did. Best case scenario, you would have to find the option to not give them permission. Which means you would have to know they were going to do that in the first place and then find something that they probably won't make obvious.

I have no intention of giving consent what-so-ever. Knowing that the Kinect unit was used for this purpose, I was one of those who pushed for Microsoft to remove the mandatory Kinect in the first place, and as Microsoft have reduced the Kinect to a peripheral unit I fully intend to connect my Xbone without said unit - completely eliminating the sensor with which Microsoft intend to gather said data.

I view this 'development' in exactly the way I view Steam, which is to say both systems would like to garner info from me but both offer an 'opt-out' clause. At the end of the day, this story is ultimately about is re-assuring investors, not pacifying gamers.

Well, you could always buy the PS4. Thus you wouldn't be forced to pay for something you aren't going to use.

Also, I'm really not clear on whether Kinect is mandatory or not. And honestly, as I said in a previous post, I don't think Microsoft is either. They seem to contradict this point every other day.

If you really have to have a Xbone, why don't you wait on the purchase? I heard a rumor that they will have a version without the Kinect next year. Not sure if that is true or not. But, it would certainly be a better option for you, if true.

The Kinect used to be mandatory, and the Xbone would not work without a Kinect and a continuous Internet connection, but both of these 'features' (restrictions) have been removed. Also to be fair I am waiting on my purchase - the earliest I intend to buy an Xbone is March next year and even that's pushing it a bit.

Don't get me wrong, as an existing Xbox user I am full of concerns regarding the next Xbox generation, but I simply felt the need to pipe up in response to 'shock-jock' thread making that depicted entirely optional privacy settings as in some way mandatory.

 

[Saltyk]

Last week, Xbox director of product planning Albert Penello said this kind of biometric data does not leave the local Xbox One console unless people allow it to and that Kinect was not designed with advertising in mind.

There we go.

Is it dodgy that Microsoft want to collect this data from us? Yes. Will this data be used without our consent? No.

End of story.

Oh, but you will give consent. Several people have already stated exactly how they will get your consent. And you won't even know you gave your consent. It will be in the EULA that you have to agree to in order to use the system. You know it. It's about 53 pages long and you haven't read one all the way through in your entire life. It's going to be buried in that. Probably about halfway, so that it won't be too easy for anyone to find.

Of course, you'll be free to not sign the EULA. But you will, at the minimum, lose a lot of the system's features. At the worst, the system will be a brick.

So, yes, you will have to give them permission. But, in all likelihood, you won't even know that you did. Best case scenario, you would have to find the option to not give them permission. Which means you would have to know they were going to do that in the first place and then find something that they probably won't make obvious.

I have no intention of giving consent what-so-ever. Knowing that the Kinect unit was used for this purpose, I was one of those who pushed for Microsoft to remove the mandatory Kinect in the first place, and as Microsoft have reduced the Kinect to a peripheral unit I fully intend to connect my Xbone without said unit - completely eliminating the sensor with which Microsoft intend to gather said data.

I view this 'development' in exactly the way I view Steam, which is to say both systems would like to garner info from me but both offer an 'opt-out' clause. At the end of the day, this story is ultimately about is re-assuring investors, not pacifying gamers.

Well, you could always buy the PS4. Thus you wouldn't be forced to pay for something you aren't going to use.

Also, I'm really not clear on whether Kinect is mandatory or not. And honestly, as I said in a previous post, I don't think Microsoft is either. They seem to contradict this point every other day.

If you really have to have a Xbone, why don't you wait on the purchase? I heard a rumor that they will have a version without the Kinect next year. Not sure if that is true or not. But, it would certainly be a better option for you, if true.

The Kinect used to be mandatory, and the Xbone would not work without a Kinect and a continuous Internet connection, but both of these 'features' (restrictions) have been removed. Also to be fair I am waiting on my purchase - the earliest I intend to buy an Xbone is March next year and even that's pushing it a bit.

Don't get me wrong, as an existing Xbox user I am full of concerns regarding the next Xbox generation, but I simply felt the need to pipe up in response to 'shock-jock' thread making that depicted entirely optional privacy settings as in some way mandatory.

For the record, unless there has been a change, you still need a Day One Patch to fix those... "missteps". That's something worth noting, I think. Especially if your internet connection is not good, reliable, or shuts off at certain points.

I know a friend who plans to wait at least a year before he considers buying a Xbox One. Just to ensure they don't pull a 360. And he'll probably get a PS4 sometime after it launches.

I think the problem is that we don't know the details. And considering how frankly horrible they have been at communicating no one is trusting them anymore. It was only a few days ago, that Microsoft stated that they will not sell your data to advertisers. And that it was not created with that in mind. But today, on this very site, there is a story about how the Xbox One will change the face of advertising. They've contradicted themselves on every single point thus far. And only continue to do so. The most we get in terms of comfort is that we can supposedly disable that.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128462-Microsoft-Corporate-VP-Says-Xbox-One-Can-Reshape-Marketing

There's a problem when your customers can't trust you. There's a problem when you contradict yourself within a week. Honestly, Microsoft has gone from open contempt ("Deal with it") to outright incompetence. They can't stay on message. There doesn't even seem to be a message. They say there is no such thing as bad press. Those people weren't talking about selling game consoles.

 

[thewatergamer]

What a suprise Micro$oft is lying to our faces in the hopes that we buy their shit

What else is new?

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Xbox One can essentially work like TV that watches you, bringing marketers a huge new trove of data about what's going on in living rooms, including, as one marketer put it after the speech, unprecedented information about how people engage with TV advertising.

The new generation of Kinect technology in Xbox One can distinguish up to six voices in a room, respond to voice commands, read skeletal movement, muscle force, whether people are looking at or away from the TV and even their heart rates, Mr. Mehdi said. The latter happens as the camera detects slight changes in skin tone related to dilation of a blood vessel in the eyeball that responds to heart rate, Mr. Mehdi said.

So they'll be able to sell data to the marketing execs at Lynx that shows a lot of adolescent males perform regular skeletal motions with extreme muscle force accompanied by rising heart rate when watching their ads? Sounds legit.

 

[Fox12]

This is really interesting. I mean, we all think about "Big Brother" forcing us to keep cameras in our living rooms so they can spy on us, but nobody ever thought that it would be the consumer goods we buy that spy on us. I mean, people can hack into your cell phone and record your conversations, and now Microsoft is selling a spy camera with the purpose of understanding "180 degrees" of a persons life. They've crossed a moral threshold for me that can't be undone. I'm finished with any company that tries this. Seriously, if Sony and the other companies were to try this nonsense then I'd be finished with gaming all together. I don't think they will, but you get the point.

 

[Brockyman]

Good to know people continue to be overly terrified over nothing. It's BS. They aren't spying on you. Honestly none of u are that important. Get over yourselves

 

[Reyold]

The more I hear about the Xbone, the less I want anything to do with it.

I wasn't really planning on getting a next-gen console anyway, but I was just apathetic towards it all. Now I'm staunchly against getting an Xbone, period. And MS is giving me more than enough reasons to stay that way.

 

[freedash22]

Did the NSA have a contract with MS or something?

If they don't have one yet, they are already working on it.

 

[Nurb]

People who buy next gen-consoles can be blamed for making gaming worse.

We know all about this evil shit like selling user-info and further abuse of DLC, locked content, DRM, and passes before hand, so there's no excuse!

 

[Splitzi]

Why does Yusuf Mehdi think that people want this? People hate ads, why do they think taking our information and selling it so that they can make more money off of it is okay? If someone already bought the goddamn console what else do you need from them, their soul?