Xbone to sell user's biometric data to advertisers.

[krazykidd]

Well, English is not my first language, but I can't find any evidence in the article that MS will sell or use their data without permission.

If i'm going to do something without your permission, why would i tell you? They'll probably add it in the TOS that no one reads once people buy the console.

 

[Dansrage]

Well, English is not my first language, but I can't find any evidence in the article that MS will sell or use their data without permission.

They could give full permission to sell all of their biometric data and browsing habits to ad companies at the discretion of Microsoft corporation from the moment of setting up the Kinect and onward indefinately by agreeing to fine print in page 105 paragraph 16 section 28 of the EULA they scrolled past.

Facebook sells your data to ad companies, they don't expressly ask permission, it's all hidden away in fine print, same with Google, of course they all graciously provide the option for you to turn it off manually so they can 'respect your privacy', but 90% of users won't even be aware such an option is available.

 

[balladbird]

We're entering a BRAND NEW AGE of advertising!

seriously, this guy talks like this is something we should all be hyped for, but fails to talk about why this news would be even a fraction so exciting to gamers. I wonder if this is a sign that the higher ups in microsoft are so out of touch with their consumer base that they can't comprehend that what makes them excited means nothing to the people buying their box.


...yeah, if Xbox fans want to enter this brand new age, let them do it alone.

What I also find hilarious is that they talk as if customer consent is such a big deal... we all know they're just going to sneak an "I agree to let microsoft sell my biometric data to advertisers" into the user agreement the buyers will probably have to consent to just to get their overpriced brick to play.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

It's OK guys, your information will be safe and secure! At least until you agree to Microsoft's terms of service before updating and thus signing away your soul, right to complain and, right to privacy. Who really needs any of those things anyway, when you have an XBone80, bag of Doritos and a bottle of Mountain Dew?

 

[legend of duty]

Xbox you can't seem to stop shitting the bed. Call your new console the PS Four it will mess with enough parents buying Christmas gifts and you can make a tidy profit.

 

[Savagezion]

This opens up a "huge new trove of data" about how people are interacting with TV ads, according to one marketer who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

This is my favorite part of the whole piece. It's golden that the marketer uses anonymity.

 

[Abomination]

Those guys juts can't catch a break, can they.

They're the ones holding the shovel. All they have to do is stop digging.

They're trying to find out if they can dig until the hole goes right through, methinks.

All I could think here is "But a shovel isn't used for digging... a spade is used for digging. A shovel is used for shoveling, moving something from one place to another - like shit-- ooh! Was that intentional?" and then I had to sit down and examine the potential metaphors and the probability of the author's intentional use of an incorrect implement.

But sometimes the room is blue because the room is just fucking blue.

 

[Alcom1]

I bet my biometric data is better than yours.

Yeah, I'm one of those people, not easily bothered by my personal info escaping like this. Not that I don't understand the feeling against personal info being grabbed by such devices and being used for whatever purpose, it's quite justified.

Also, what the blunderbuss could you possibly advertise to me based on my biometric data? Work-out equipment because I am quite lacking in muscle mass? Nonessential men's Hygine products because the black box says I am a man in my early 20's? The ideal ad setup for me is 20% retail LEGO ads, 40% gaming ads, and 40% non-retail LEGO ads, and I doubt you could figure that out from my heart-rate.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I don't think so, I had heard that they had made it so the Kinect doesn't need to be connected for the console to function, (despite arguing that it couldn't function without the Kinect because of space magic) but that the Kinect was needed for the 'initial setup' of the console.

So basically what that translates to is, you're still forced to pay the overhead and buy the useless brick if you want it or not.

Nice one mate, truth is i was always sketchy on the details. So the console comes with the Kinect, including the related price increase, requires it for initial setup after which it can be unplugged and put away? In that case, it seems fairly straightforward to opt out of this by not having Kinect plugged in.

I was considering making a joke about George Orwell calling and asking for his console back. Don't think I will now.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Did the NSA have a contract with MS or something?

If they do the NSA is the one with all the benefits.

 

[Atmos Duality]

We're entering a BRAND NEW AGE of advertising!

seriously, this guy talks like this is something we should all be hyped for, but fails to talk about why this news would be even a fraction so exciting to gamers. I wonder if this is a sign that the higher ups in microsoft are so out of touch with their consumer base that they can't comprehend that what makes them excited means nothing to the people buying their box.

Advertising is a COST to consumers, not a benefit (an Opportunity Cost, or Time Cost, specifically).
Of course they aren't going to pitch it to gamers as a feature. They're pitching it to ad-companies and market data analysts.

 

[Haakmed]

And I don't think Halo can dig you out of this hole now Microsoft!

 

[Dansrage]

I don't think so, I had heard that they had made it so the Kinect doesn't need to be connected for the console to function, (despite arguing that it couldn't function without the Kinect because of space magic) but that the Kinect was needed for the 'initial setup' of the console.

So basically what that translates to is, you're still forced to pay the overhead and buy the useless brick if you want it or not.

Nice one mate, truth is i was always sketchy on the details. So the console comes with the Kinect, including the related price increase, requires it for initial setup after which it can be unplugged and put away? In that case, it seems fairly straightforward to opt out of this by not having Kinect plugged in.

I was considering making a joke about George Orwell calling and asking for his console back. Don't think I will now.

Yeah, at this specific point in time to the best of my knowledge (because MS is all over the place) the Kinect is required for the first time setup, but can be unplugged afterwards and the console will still function.
So now after that first setup you can play without Kinect, but you've still footed the bill for a useless brick that you didn't want and won't use, and some have speculated that the reason the Xbone is more expensive than the PS4 while having inferior hardware is because the Kinect costs as much to manufacture as the console itself. You can't even sell it because they're deliberately making it so that if you want to use the Kinect 2.0 on PC you'll have to buy a special version.

Yeah, I'm one of those people, not easily bothered by my personal info escaping like this. Not that I don't understand the feeling against personal info being grabbed by such devices and being used for whatever purpose, it's quite justified.

If you're an American you should be concerned because it directly violates your constitution in several areas, if you live somewhere else it will severely violate privacy laws. If you're British you have no rights and deserve to be abused. There is nobody controlling these companies, they can give this information to whoever they want, the potential for abuse is absolutely massive. The NSA didn't have this kind of information and look at the scandal it caused. In the case of the Kinect it's not only your browsing habits or your phone calls and emails, but your medical data that is being shared without your consent with whoever will pay. There are very specific laws that require the police to get permission from a court before tapping a phone or bugging a house, and here's Microsoft doing it completely unsupervised.

These laws exist for good reasons.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with misgivings about actively helping to improve the effectiveness of advertising to me. I saw a show once. They have fucking scents in shops that have been shown to make customers less price-sensitive. Scents. There is nothing advertising will not explore, and I'd rather not pay for the opportunity to be included in testing. They've got some nerve designing a product to generate revenue from ads on the side.

 

[Something Amyss]

Disgusting really. And people will still buy the Xbox One.

Well I suppose people are used to having no privacy, what with Facebook and other social sites, while being used to getting "ads tailored for them" from Google. It's still disgusting, but I guess there is a precedent.

None of those can tell if you're aroused based on product placement, though.

 

[Weaver]

Biometric responses to advertising are immensely different from a users personal biometric data.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Disgusting really. And people will still buy the Xbox One.

Well I suppose people are used to having no privacy, what with Facebook and other social sites, while being used to getting "ads tailored for them" from Google. It's still disgusting, but I guess there is a precedent.

None of those can tell if you're aroused based on product placement, though.

True, this is on a new level. I was just pointing out that to the average person, it might not seem as bad as it is.

 

[Luminous Chroma]

The Xbone has been rejiggered to work without the Kinect attached, right? And without the Kinect, the console can't collect your biometric data. So plug in the Kinect for the initial setup, then throw it in the trash. The Xbone no longer has the ability to harvest your vital signs, and you can play some Titanfall. A necessarily stupid solution for an equally stupid problem.

 

[Something Amyss]

None of those can tell if you're aroused based on product placement, though.

True, this is on a new level. I was just pointing out that to the average person, it might not seem as bad as it is.

Oh, and I agree. I just reeeeeeeally wanted to slip that joke in there.

EDIT: I should probably say "line" since it's not entirely a joke.