Xbox One Does Not Collect Personal Data For Advertising

Contrary to a report by Advertising Age, Microsoft's upcoming Xbox One console does not collect marketing data about users. Microsoft commented on the article today saying “We have a long-standing commitment to your privacy and will not target ads to you based on any data Kinect collects unless you choose to allow us to do so.”

[xHeavYx]

Riiiiiiiiiiiight, MS seems to "accidentally" misquote a lot of stuff lately

[PunisherRevenge]

Lol....Hi Sony fangirl nice to see you're still trolling every Microsoft article....lol

[xHeavYx]

Instead of insulting me, why not provide some facts to show where I'm wrong? Because that's what I do, I'll defend my claims with facts, sorry if you can't take it

[thereapersson]

Just ignore marcelliuss1; ad hominem attacks are frequent when someone doesn't have an actual argument. When you can't one-up your opponent, try to discredit them through slander!

[Ron_Danger]

Ignore him... Typical blind fanboy who just goes negative and off topic to try to distract everyone else from seeing the truth. Just look at Stuntz' comment down below. I call him out for just blind fanboy rage typing.

[JokesOnYou]

Well Heavy Im not going to name call but what "facts" did you provide for your claim? Sure micro has been "accused" of alot but they have also appeared before Congress to fight against over reaching data privacy request by the government.
http://www.techdirt.com/art...

Microsoft is also highly rated by an independent social site for their privacy standards/measures.
https://www.eff.org/who-has...

-Another day, another rumor debunked, they clearly state it will not collect and share your personal WITHOUT PERMISSION.

-lol, Disagrees won't change the info in these links and I encourage others to reposts the links whenever similar misinformation is presented.

-vvvvvEdit: ziggucat oh you mean it collects data like face mapping/face recognition which is saved to the console/gamertag so that the system recognizes you and loads your personal preferences? Yeah of course how else do you suppose they do it? QUESTION: Do you have Facebook?...I mean nevermind that they need your permission like in so many other TOS product agreements but seriously what could someone be doing in front of Kinect that this type of ad info collection is so offensive?

[ziggurcat]

@ jokes:

nice spin.

it still collects the data even without your permission. you just need to give them permission to bombard you with the ads they've derived from the collected data.

edit: of course, it's all moot if you don't even plug the kinect in to begin with.

edit #2: “We have a long-standing commitment to your privacy and will not target ads to you based on any data Kinect collects unless you choose to allow us to do so." --> the wording seems to indicate they still collect the data for ads regardless of whether you give them permission, and that the permission granting only allows them to put those ads (i'm assuming) onto the dashboard.

i don't find it offensive at all, it's just the article is trying to argue that MS isn't collecting personal data, when in fact they are - they just don't release any of the info without your permission.

[xHeavYx]

@Jokes
Fresh out of the oven, just for you
http://n4g.com/news/1369347...
You act like MS never shared Skype and email conversions

[UltimateMaster]

Microsoft commented on the article today saying “We have a long-standing commitment to your privacy and will not target ads to you based on any data Kinect collects **unless you choose to allow us to do so**.”

[TechMech2]

That ain't no troll statement. I pm buying an Xbox one before a ps4, but you as an Xbox fan gotta admit that Microsofts policies has became a little bit out of the consumers best interest.

[rdgneoz3]

@jokes Nice to see they're "fighting against over reaching data privacy request by the government," when they were the first to bend over for the NSA... Other companies held out a bit longer.

http://www.itespresso.de/wp...

[MiHX2]

Stop that!No one likes to be called "A Fangirl/Fanboy/Xbot/Sony Pony"

[kreate]

The problem is that, when u purchase and try to use Microsoft products, they force u to agree that Microsoft does what they want w u.

U do have the option to buy Microsoft products but hit the disagree,back, or cancel button when the terms of agreement shows up. U can't use what u bought though.

Most companies have this, bUT Microsoft takes full advantage of it in favor of themselves.

[sycnation]

agreed @heavy

http://arstechnica.com/secu...

and this prove (among the other clusterf()&$ deals.with xbone) that Microsoft is full of it when it comes to privacy and consumer rights. to them its profits over people

sony amd nintendo are no exceptions either.

[NewMonday]

MS: "unless you choose to allow us to do so"

By "choosing" they mean not going into settings and disabling data tracking, typically taking advantage of the uninformed consumer.

Dat fine print

@onyoursistersback

A good point

[GTgamer]

Its called terms of agreement u know when u first turn on a console and always click accept because your just trying to get to gaming and boom you just agreed for MS to take your data and use it stop being a little Naive xbox fanboy and think with your head for once the console was built around this have you guys all forgotten the early articles of the xone helping advertising by using the kinect to see if u look away from a commercial are did those not exist to you.

[Concertoine]

Umm... they did misquote. It only does those things IF YOU LET IT, this is something which they did not clarify previously.
It all comes down to the fact that it doesnt MATTER what it does if you dont even have to agree to it. If i gave you a new car and said, "hey here's a hammer, you must periodically hit yourself in the head with it while driving. Oh but you dont have to do it if you dont want to," would you really care that i said that? No, you'll take the damn car and drive, just as xbone owners will take the console and play!

[Thirty3Three]

There was a semi-recent article about the NSA admitting to it...

So this is a lie.

[slampunk]

@heavy

You must lead a full filled life? as a one console gamer who trolls comment threads?!

Keep it going though as i always get a laugh out of reading your comments!

You obviously don't intend on buying an XB1, yet you waste so much of your time / life trolling N4G comments threads about XB1...... Quite sad really......

[PunisherRevenge]

Lol....You see Heavy i would provide facts but that would be a waste of my time on you......Well on second thought i will provide a fact. The fact of the matter is you didn't provide any "FACTS" so why should I? Also for everyone calling me a fanboy just shows how much of a blind fanboy they are. Instead of coming with some real facts as to why you feel i'm a fanboy, you'd rather sit around behind a screen and talk sh** because that's really the only thing you're good at......Well that and Sony circle jerking....lol....So while you all choose a side and be limited to only Sony exclusives, I'll be enjoying all three consoles because I play games not corporations.

[Trekster_Gamer]

OK troll show us the facts!
Most likely bullet points engraved on your Sony circle jerk troll card...

Go and troll Sony articles....

[christocolus]

not this again...i thought mr albert penello cleared this up earlier. news just keeps getting recycled here on n4g.especially when it concerns the xbx one.

[hellzsupernova]

Mostly the negative stuff, but it's a sea of bad news for Microsoft . For us gamers we should mostly care about games and I know where I will be playing next generation.

[SonyAddict]

You butt hurt?.

[christocolus]

judging from your name ..you seem quite immature and shouldnt even be posting comments...you are an embarrassment to yourself..ignorant troll.....smh...

[MasterCornholio]

I don't trust Panello especially after what he did on Neogaf.

Nexus 7 2013

[thebudgetgamer]

“We have a long-standing commitment to your privacy and will not target ads to you based on any data Kinect collects unless you choose to allow us to do so.”

Hmmm.

[DeadManIV]

Microsoft are still trying to f**k people.

[VonBraunschweigg]

No, help them with their advertisement content. They're in front of their televisions, makes sense. They need more sugar and stuff. Kinect will see their needs, plus they get to wave back.

[Trekster_Gamer]

Yet another butt hurt Sony troll comment... Go away....

[LackTrue4K]

Yep....
and if you decline the service, it will log you out of your XboxLive...

[Eonjay]

"We have a long-standing commitment to your privacy and will not target ads to you based on any data Kinect collects unless you choose to allow us to do so.”

So they do collect data; if you give permission. The data will be sold to advertisers and this confirms what Advertising Age said.

[forcefullpower]

I would not be surprised that you have to agree to it when you first sign into the x1. so you will have to agree to it unless you want a useless machine

Bit like sony did with the Linux firmware.

[hellzsupernova]

Hopefully not buried in those agreements, that you have to agree too.

[DigitalRaptor]

if a message like that pops up when it prompts you to sign in, i can only imagine the shock reaction and instantaneous regret.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/...

I can't feel sorry for anyone though. The warning signs have been in place for a long time now.

[Stuntz]

it is amazing how many times Microsoft has to come out and put these ridiculous rumors in the ground. Lets talk about Sony for a second the company that apparently has 15 new IPS coming out for PS4, then we found out they are indies did anyone flip shit for that? Lets talk about how HDMI capture isnt coming at launch, all they have said is "it will support it eventually" is anyone saying man Sony still is screwing us with HDMI capture? Lets talk about PSN and how crap it is compared to XBL. Lets talk about PS4 having absolutely crap for games. Face the facts doesnt matter how much crap you guys spread about the X1 it will still be better than your stupid sony crapstation/indiestation. Sony is in a financial crisis which is why all the DLC and new IPS, studios are Microsoft.

[Ron_Danger]

To put it in terms that you'd understand, what you just said is a bunch of crap.

Everything you've stated is personal opinion that you are trying to pass off as fact.

The main problem with that is that it is what a lot of fanboys do on this site and you just keep repeating those same points over and over in every comment section that you can until someone else says the same thing so then you can justify what you are saying.

It amazes me that people will agree with you for stating opinions, while at the same time you'll down vote people who state facts (with links to prove those facts [Mariahellfutura])

Also, you don't comment on the actual article at all. You just go all super defensive without stating anything pro-Microsoft. I guess if you don't have anything nice to say...

[n4rc]

While I dont agree with him... You have to admit the Sony side is just as bad, if not worse.

Negative Rumors and speculation about the x1 make up 75% of the comments in every Xbox article..

So when one guy does what countless on the other side has done, don't act like your taking some high road for pointing it out

[Trekster_Gamer]

He was correct... what a shock another blind don't troll here on an Xbox topic...

[thebudgetgamer]

Indi games are not games now?

[ziggurcat]

not since sony has shown the most support. prior to that, MS had (according to xbox fanboys) "the best" indie support, and was a touted aspect of the xbox brand..

[n4rc]

Indie games are a niche market... They are cool to have access to, but arent the reason anybody would buy a console..

I see them being used to pad a launch line up on one side.. But I see them being unfairly ripped as not games by the other..

IMO.. Both sides have a point.. But as anything else, the truth lies somewhere in the middle..

[Kayant]

"Lets talk about Sony for a second the company that apparently has 15 new IPS coming out for PS4, then we found out they are indies did anyone flip shit for that?"
And you have seen all the unannounced stuff am guessing for PS4 & XB1.... There are 3 retail exclusives at launch for each system (KZ:SF, Knack,DC) vS XB1 (DR3,Forza 5,Ryse) this is just pure retail exclusives btw. What games you prefer is preference. I will agree I prefer XB1's a bit more but am not getting a PS4 at launch so doesn't matter to me personally.

"Lets talk about how HDMI capture isnt coming at launch, all they have said is "it will support it eventually" is anyone saying man Sony still is screwing us with HDMI capture?"
Ok this one is probably true because they didn't talk about it until when the rumours started coming in. And am guessing they felt the way sharing works was going to be fine.

"Lets talk about PSN and how crap it is compared to XBL."
Right before you do am sure you know one's a *premium* service you pay for & one's free service. Comparing the two fairly is like apples to oranges because compared to XBL free where you can't do pretty much anything without a gold sub PSN gives you some premium features of XBL for free (MP, access to all apps). When Next-gen comes and people start paying for PSN then you can make a better comparison.

[Brix90]

Your whole arguement went to shit after you said PS4 having crap for games and financial crisis.

[Palaven]

@Stuntz

Don't forget the fact that Playstation Network has been hacked in the past putting millions of users personal and credit card information at risk. People on N4G seem to forget about that when it comes to Kinect and privacy. XBL has never been hacked.

I would feel more worried about putting my information in Sony's hands than Kinect 'spying' on me.

[DigitalRaptor]

Nice gross misinformation there buddy.

There's a major difference between those instances, and it's funny how you actually go out of your way to emphasis that XBL hasn't been hacked.

1) The PSN hack was a one-time hack which was out of Sony's control. A bunch of people or even one person can hack ANYTHING. Believe me if Microsoft would have gone ahead with their anti-consumer bullcrap (not that they aren't still doing, or don't have plans to re-introduce it), their online network would have been targeted by LulzSec or Anonymous or some other pro-rights group, and guess what? It would've been hacked, because nothing is impenetrable. Nothing.

FYI, PSN Credit card information was NOT at risk as that was encrypted. Your personal data is already out there, but you probably don't realise it. It was an awful thing to happen, and Sony should have encrypted that data, but they're not trying to sell your information to advertisers using shady practices, like the anti-consumer corporation we all know.

2) Microsoft has designed their console for years with anti-consumer measures in place. They designed the dashboard with ads in mind, and the reason Kinect was a required peripheral for your console to work initially was for this very reason. This was meant to be an ongoing thing to try and make as much money from you at your expense.

The two scenarios are vastly incomparable.

[xRedline]

@DigitalRaptor
"The two scenarios are vastly incomparable."

Well at least you understand you can't compare something that actually happened (like PSN's hack), to your opinion that Microsoft will sell personal data for advertising.

[n4rc]

Haha... The irony... Before ripping into someone, get your facts straight..

One... Sony losing customer data is 100% their fault.. It wasnt encrypted and not very secure... Hackers didn't do that..

And nope.. Xbl has never been hacked.. Because they do actually care about your info, if only for their enterprise image..

And sure... Let's talk anti consumer and DRM while always conveniently omitting the many DRM practices Sony created and uses.. Cinevia protection being he most annoying..

Or how about shady practices.. Like selling a system feature to run another os then taking it away once people bought it..

Its amazing how everyone only remembers what they want

[hellzsupernova]

No just no. First of all of Sonys first parties are working on ps4 games they haven't been announced.

Secondly it's not a feature Sony planned for they thought the on board capture was enough, when people wanted hdmi capture they have agreed to make it happen.

Let's talk games the list of ps4 games is much longer then the xbone. And they are better more polished games. From FTP like war thunder, dcuo, war frame to play stations big hitters like killzone, knack and drive club, with infamous and the order due next year, then there's soooooo many great looking indie titles. He's the xbone stack up now? All ryse has gotten bad press, dead rising is sounding unimpressive and then you only have forza, or the pay to play killer instinct, please one character is not free to play.

[Palaven]

@DigitalRaptor

There was no reason why Sony couldn't have prevented what happened, They failed to protect there customers private information. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/t...

Names, addresses, date of births, emails addresses, usernames and passwords where accessed, credit card information could have been accessed. All of that information can be used to access other parts of a persons life including banking. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...

Sony where fined £250000 in 2013 for it. Lawsuits have been filed against Sony for not taking enough care to secure customers private data. If that doesn't scream guilty then I don't know what does.

You can find all this information and more from a quick Google search.

[DigitalRaptor]

Did you not notice that I admitted that it was Sony's fault that the personal information was put at risk? Do you think I don't know about these things you are telling me? Do you not think I researched into this when the PSN went down for a month? I know the facts, and not the misinformed and skewed details of the mainstream media who will pounce on whatever alarmist headlines will make them money.

Notice that only 2 days later, The Daily Mail wrote a clarifying piece about how credit card information was encrypted and so was highly unlikely to be at risk - EXACTLY what i said. It was encrypted so there was no getting in to it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...

None of that information can be use to access a person's bank account unless they are stupid enough to use the same password across everything. And then, banks have additional security clearance levels.

Nowhere did I say Sony was in the right. They were the victim of a hack, but they weren't the victim of securing their customer's personal information. What I stand by, and what we all know for sure, is that these two situations are grossly incomparable. One was corporate negligence. The other is anti-consumer planning and measurement to affect the outcome of the industry in a way that is detrimental to consumers and only in place for the benefit of Microsoft.

[SonyAddict]

You are pathetic!, just like micro scam!.

[VonBraunschweigg]

To gamers: no, not anymore, not without your permission, not that I know of, for now, no.
To advertisers, just recently: you bet, hartbeats and everything.

[Bryan574]

Thats the least of our problems with companies like Microsoft giving backdoors to the NSA....oh but they would never abuse their power with Kinect which is equipped goodies like facial recognition, 3d tracking, heart monitor, and night vision. #1984

[ziggurcat]

"Contrary to a report by Advertising Age, Microsoft's upcoming Xbox One console does not collect marketing data about users."

"unless you choose to allow us to do so."

so... in other words... it *does* collect personal data for ads...

[BX81]

Ummmm. Unless you choose to allow it.
A+ for your reading skills
F for your reading comprehension.

[SpideySpeakz]

So essentially, it will collect data for advertising purposes as long as you really don't give a damn about privacy, or you're totally clueless on how to set these privacy walls. I'm not really concerned about that because nearly every company does this with consumer electronics.

What I'm worried about is that will my data be harvested and sent directly to government agencies. I have nothing to hide, but I surely don't want Big Bros in my house.

[KYU2130]

Kinect does not collect data but the console itself does collect data to target the gamer with games more to their liking.

[maniacmayhem]

And how does this effect anyone popping in a DR3 disc and playing it?

[SilentGuard]

What exactly does MS consider personal data? This doesn't mean they aren't collecting general trends, such as number of viewers watching any given show. There still is vast potential for MS to rake in millions selling data to third parties without any of it being "private". Nothing wrong with that per se, but don't push Kinect with BS about using it is a magical experince and the best thing in gaming since color tv. It's an insult, especially when its obvious it's there as a money making data collecting ad tool that goes in hand with their original plan to require it to be hooked up and have mandatory online check-ins.

[DigitalRaptor]

Oh no? It doesn't.

How about that's what Kinect and the console dashboard was designed around.

http://www.sticktwiddlers.c...

[TechMech2]

Oh Microsoft. If only they didn't own halo, then I would never buy their money grabbing Xbox one....

[pwnsause_returns]

Says the company who was passing informAtion to the NSA

[BraidedWALLACE]

If your intelligent you will understand this

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[Juste_Belmont]

MS wave their hands and say, "These aren't the droids you're looking for..."

[DigitalRaptor]

Those Jedi love their 180 spins

http://l.yimg.com/os/251/20...
http://l.yimg.com/os/251/20...

[Goku781]

And MS doesn't license it's software /s

[Goku781]

I'm with this guy, warning, lots of cursing.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?...

[beebap]

Has everyone forgot their original tune ads are almost proundly touted as main feature of kinect now they realise people do not want to pay for ads,people accept it when free if have to.Also because nsa thing has been found out they act privacy is there number one concern when they added in disable functions later when outrage about the kinect. Seriously do we want as gamers ads do we not pay microsoft enough with hardware and live subscription. I record all live tv now just to skip thro the ads. Let hope the option to opt out of this is not hid too much. I dont think ads on your game console should be normal.

[flunkers]

Man. These forums are hilarious to read. People getting so fired up over such unimportant info. Keep it up everyone. Forget buying a console, this is far more entertaining.

:)

[MightyNoX]

Mark my words, it'll soon become a requirement to play games online. This is just another Paywall.

"What's that? You wanna keep your privacy? Shuuure, go right ahead. Oh but I'm afraid we'll sign you out of XBL."

The ol' Catch 22. Keep it classy, Microsoft.

[Stuart81]

Who remembers when Sony "shared" their PSN users info with the worlds hackers lol