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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."

5 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. So? by jclast · · Score: 2, Interesting

    XBOX 360s are produced by Microsoft. Live is a service provided by Microsoft.

    Why do we seem to think it's wrong for them to monitor how their subscribers use their service?

    And when it comes down to it, do you really care that any random Live user knows that you're looking at pictures instead of playing Kong?

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    e2 | LJ
    1. Re:So? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Why is it a problem that other users can see what you do on Live?

      It's a problem when those other users are in your locality, looking for the right time to break into your home while you're distracted, maybe to inflict some non-virtual fragging on your camping ass.

      Or if the company you work for decides playing violent video games violates some morals clause, finds out your Live ID, and decides to fire you for playing Quake 4 at home.*

      * Companies are firing people for smoking at home (and failing a drug test for tobacco); with all the hype about violent games making people violent, there is a change to make such a policy stick under the guise of maintaining workplace safety.

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  2. Yawn by generic-man · · Score: 4, Interesting

    BBSes did this more than 10 years ago and UNIX's "w" command does something very similar.

    User         Doing           Logged in
    generic-man  Playing LORD    15 mins ago
    d00d         Reading mail    20 mins ago
    amigarox     Chat            30 mins ago

    As a former SysOp, I don't know what the big deal is here.

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    For more information, click here.
  3. Blown out of proportion? by The+Infidel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I just dont see the big deal here. Of course, adding the option to cloak your activities would be a good add-in, but it's not like your photo album is visible to anyone else or your merchant account info is public.
    This hate-everything-Micorsoft-regardless-of-whether-my -argument-is-valid mentality doesnt illustrate anything except the acrimony of the person expressing it.

  4. Re:Privacy Options by mosschops · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So if you are concerned about this, just turn it off.

    But why the heck is this turned ON by default??