Are We Overreacting When It Comes to Next-Gen Privacy?

CCC Says: "“I always feel like…somebody’s watchin’ me…and I have no privacy.” – Rockwell
It’s finally happened. We’ve become so scared of the unknown that we’ve stopped looking under our beds or in our closets and started finding the boogie man jumping right out of our very own gaming consoles."

[CustardTrout]

Nope.

[AgentSmithPS4]

A young gamer in texas was arrested for terrorism when he made a sarcastic "threat" after someone called him crazy after a league of legends game.

http://www.change.org/petit...

Apparently he was attacked a few times in jail and put in solitary. Who knows if he was raped but it's insane that he was put in there in the first place.

If Next-Gen consoles are watching and listening maybe you'll be getting a knock on the door next. People with power will abuse it.

[byeGollum]

Yes. Majority are exaggerating out of spite.

[thebudgetgamer]

Somewhat, it is funny when Microsoft says things like, Kinect will not record any data. Then say it will they will only use data if you allow it.

[coopman300]

Most decidedly yes. Honestly what deep dark secrets could they find out from a gaming console. The kinect thing is a non issue. Not only does ms make your privacy a priority they sued the fed. govt. to ensure more privacy for their customers. If you're that paranoid then why are you even on the internet right now, go live in the mountains somewhere.

[Hicken]

They sued, but they gave the NSA keys into their programs?

Sounds legit.

[coopman300]

Only when required by law to do so, the same as every other US based company. Again, if you want total privacy cut yourself off from every internet connected device.

[DragonKnight]

Are you insane? MS makes your privacy such a priority that they spy on Skype conversations, they hand over emails, they built in back doors into Windows programs, and they admitted that their camera can and will record data. Yeah, MS is REEEEEEAAALLLL trustworthy.

[Hicken]

Do you know why Microsoft's involvement in PRISM was a big deal?

Because they VOLUNTEERED.

And this on the heels of introducing a console with a mandatory internet connection, with a mandatory camera capable of facial and voice recognition and even reading biometric data like heart rates and such; and that on the heels of it being discovered that Microsoft was spying on its Skype users.

There's all this "if you're so paranoid, don't use phones, get off the grid," and so on, but some things are, unfortunately, more necessary than others. An internet-connected phone is all but a necessity these days; obviously, the internet is also a necessity.

An internet-dependent video game console with a personal data-collecting camera is NOT a necessity.

Thinking that a company with a track record that looks like Microsoft's when it comes to privacy MAY do something less than altruistic with your personal data isn't paranoid. Not wanting them or anyone else to have easy access to your living room isn't paranoia, it's not having deep dark secrets.

Would you want some random person peeking in at you through the windows of your house whenever they wanted? Of course not. That's why you have curtains and blinds. But if you've got nothing to hide, then why don't you get rid of those, and just let whoever wants to look take a peek at your life?

Somehow, I get the feeling you're not okay with that.

[MightyNoX]

No.

[speed389]

no not at all!!! thats why there is a big fuss about it. majority of everyone enjoys there own privacy in there own home.

[HolyDuck]

I really do believe people are.

I have nothing to hide, so i'm not really bothere. But when the same people that insult the xbox ones forced cameras are the same people who put their phone numbers on their facebook, carry around a smartphone with credit card details, personal information and passwords on it, they lose all respect from me because they're honestly only insulting the thing because Microsoft are the ones doing it.

I can see a lot of people being like "I don't use facebook, or a smart phone" etc etc, lets face it, you're lying because you think lying justifies your reasons for bashing something you're not even getting.

[DragonKnight]

This attitude is the wrong attitude. It's this kind of apathy and complacency that will see governments enact ridiculous laws that violate basic human rights and constitutional laws (which already happens) because they know they'll be able to get away with it. No one ever thinks anything is wrong until something happens to them and then it's too late. As the comment above about the League of Legends player shows, you don't know what you have to hide and what you don't have to hide. Especially when the government can arbitrarily decide what is and what is not illegal at any time without notification.

[HolyDuck]

I've never threatened anyone online, I'm never going too, I'm not stupid enough to do it.

Being seen on a camera (which by the way there are hundreds of thousands of them placed all around the world) isn't exactly going to stop you from fapping to favourite porno, is it? No. The NSA, CIA, FBI, aren't just going to watch random people to see what happens, they're going to use it to check up on weird people, if you honestly think they're tapping into every camera and having millions of workers stare at them for hours on end then you're mistaken.

I could care less about my attitude, if the laws can save peoples live then I think a breach of "human rights" should be allowed now and then. I really couldn't care less.

[DragonKnight]

There's no such thing as overreacting when it comes to privacy. You have the right to share what you want with whom you want at your own discretion. If anyone tries to take that right away from you in any way, you have the right to be upset about it.

"Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile."