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Microsoft Plays 'Big Brother' With Xbox Live

Posted by Zonk on from the share-and-share-alike dept.

Steve from Hexus writes "HEXUS.gaming reports that Microsoft's XBox LIVE on the XBox 360 is giving away far more information than is necessary. From the article: 'When we first realised the extent and detail of information that was being shared with other Xbox Live users, we did a bit of investigating. With the boss on the other end of the phone, I skipped about through my Xbox 360's functions, each time challenging the boss to tell me what I was doing. Using Media Connect, he told me just a few seconds after I had started that I was viewing pictures... then playing music... then on the Xbox 360 Dashboard and then that I was in Xbox Live Marketplace looking for something to download. The sad thing is, he was right every time!' This information isn't confined to people on your friends list either."

4 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Umm by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Didn't RTFA yet, but Xbox Live lets you appear offline, so what's the problem here?

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    "This is considered plagiarism."
    1. Re:Umm by generic-man · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you're "fanatically opposed to" Microsoft and its business practices, you're not exactly in the market for an Xbox 360 -- except if you plan to put Linux on it.

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      For more information, click here.
    2. Re:Umm by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "RoadDoggFL is playing online in Halo 2" is NOT personal information. TFA is a huge overreaction.

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      "This is considered plagiarism."
  2. Privacy Options by yotaku · · Score: 4, Insightful

    First off, if anyone bothered to actually read the whole article you would see that they updated the article when they realised that they can set their privacy settings to now tell anyone what they are doing on their xbox, or to just tell people on their friends list. So if you are concerned about this, just turn it off.

    Secondly, who really cares if people know that you are watching a movie, or looking at pictures. For one thing, you do not even know if the user is actually at the system, of if the xbox is just idling. And do you actually care if people know you are watching a movie? Its not like its announcing to the world that you are watching the latest chick flick, or flipping though your porn collection. It just says watching a movie, or viewing pictures. Its like your neighbors seeing you leave the house. Oh my god!, they know I'm leaving the house -- my privacy!!