[dropcap size=dropcap]D[/dropcap]ata security issues are becoming more and more important, especially in the online environment. Many of us have become paranoid about the fact that we are being constantly watched online, even in the case we do not necessarily have anything to hide. Because of this, when Microsoft announced that their new Xbox One Kinect 2.0 will come in the box with the new Xbox One, the announcement has inspired rather fear and negative emotions among users than joy and enthusiasm.
In theory, the terms and conditions you agree with when using the console for the first time will calm most of your concerns and details about personal security. However, you should read them carefully not just accept them without going through with what Microsoft has to say about it. And it is quite nice that the Redmond giant has felt the need to add specific details and some real-life possible scenarios to their terms and conditions, helping us and all other users of Xbox One and Kinect 2.0 to better understand what they mean and what their decision to collect private data really is.
For this instance, we found out that no video recording taken with the new Kinect sensor will leave the console. Gestures and expressions filmed by the sensor in order to interact with various games and applications will be automatically deleted upon every restart of the console. Furthermore, the console setup menu lets you manually delete all the private and personal information whenever you need or like to.
Some sample audio recordings will return to Redmond as long as they will be required for Microsoft’s developers to improve the overall user experience and the audio controls. If it bothers you however, this won’t happen say Microsoft, a rather ambiguous statement from our perspective. Microsoft says that Xbox One users can expect little privacy during online gameplay as they will monitor communications “to the extent permitted by law.” However, Microsoft will not monitor communications between friends. They will limit their “listening skills” to the online gameplay. Furthermore, Microsoft added that they will not monitor the “entire Service and make no attempt to do so.” They did not mention however the privacy problem created by other users of Xbox One Kinect 2.0 who will be able to record their online gaming sessions along with the audio part on the new GameDVR feature. While chats and private discussions will not be monitored by Microsoft, they still can be recorded by users personally and shared externally from the Xbox One.
Personally, I think that such devices will continue to be a “Pandora’s box” until the U.S. law will be adapted and optimized in order to protect and value the online user’s privacy. I don’t expect this to happen in the immediate future and therefore, I remain reluctant to Microsoft’s explanations I have discussed above.