Slashdot Mirror
Senator Al Franken Takes On Oculus Over VR Data Mining (engadget.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Oculus says in its privacy policy it will track information about your location, physical movements, and how you're using the Oculus Rift headset. Senator Al Franken, a consumer advocate who has made a point of pushing back against invasive privacy policies like Uber's, wrote a letter to Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, pushing for more information about how, exactly, Oculus is using all of the data it collects. "I believe Americans have a fundamental right to privacy," Franken wrote. "And that right includes an individual's access to information about what data are being collected about them, how the data are being treated, and with whom the data are being shared." Oculus has not yet commented on the letter. As a result from Franken's letter, Oculus may offer a more detailed privacy policy, like what HTC has done for its Vive headset. Though, it's worth mentioning Oculus isn't collecting much more information than most technology companies. The biggest concern stems around what kind of information Facebook is collecting when the headset is not being used -- there's no off button, so it's always sitting in a semi-ready state.
Like that Revolv thing that those who already did the purchase thought they own, only to be shut down by Google/Nest --- we need to know if this VR device, once sold, is owned by the users, or, can it be shut down (or somehow rendered useless) by Facebook?
That's a great idea with just one flaw: I doubt it will work without power.
The real answer is for companies to stop collecting data. There is no legitimate reason that Facebook should have data collection in the Oculus Rift just as there is no legitimate reason that Microsoft or Google should have data collection in their respective OSes.
That's rich, this is the same Al Franken that voted to extend the Patriot Act, and is on record defending the NSA's Stazi practices. This is also the same guy that worships groups like the RIAA and MPAA and has supported SOPA/PIPA legislation.
Franken is a hack, I don't believe for a second he gives a shit about privacy rights, so there must be another reason he's going after the Rift/Facebook
Mr Franken's question will need to be repeated every month. And that still doesn't necessarily stop the bad behaviour.
The point of the policy is it's a disclaimer of "You give us permission to take anything we see fit". That means the data gathered and uses of and distribution of change with time.
I think Mr Zuckerberg is intentionally trying to trigger new laws that set defined limits.
"...what kind of information Facebook is collecting when the headset is not being used..."
Well yo will have to ask them about that but I do know what is possible, http://www.wired.com/2014/08/g...
You know that's *all* the data, right?
If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
That's a great idea with just one flaw: I doubt it will work without power.
The real answer is for companies to stop collecting data. There is no legitimate reason that Facebook should have data collection in the Oculus Rift just as there is no legitimate reason that Microsoft or Google should have data collection in their respective OSes.
Or you could just...not buy one? Seriously, if you don't like the way it works, don't buy it. Some people don't mind being spied on, and if that's fine with them, then let them have their cake.
> Or you could just...not buy one?
Sure, and we're all on board with that. The problem is that each and every piece of new technology is going to be saddled with this unless we solve it legislatively.
Wouldn't it be swell if you couldn't buy a normal monitor anymore? If all monitors were "smart" requiring Internet connectivity, call home to their respective manufacturer periodically uploading samples of displayed image to "improve" quality of product, assist with "troubleshooting" and proactive "diagnostics". Information so critical to continuously supporting and improving the product.
For your safety your smart monitor wouldn't install without an Internet connection, monitor vendor reserves the right to change terms or discontinue your use of monitor "service" at any time. If we change terms you will be given 30 days advanced notice to agree with new terms or lose all access to your monitor service.
Examples of changes we may make include requiring you to pay a small one time or monthly fee, offering direct advertising to your monitor at no cost to you and mirroring your display to our partners. You agree to provide us with a non revocable royalty free license to use any content associated with our monitor service.
Sorry, but that strategy does not work when EVERY product on the shelf with a damn internet connection does it so the companies can get that juicy Big Data money. It's also the reason why they won't stop doing it. (At least until there's no money left to be made doing so.)
The idea that the invisible hand in the free market will fix things, fails when the problem is about a product / service where said product / service is operated in a monopoly like fashion.
Please tell me he posted that as his Facebook update from his Android tablet via the ISP that was retaining all the metadata about his connection while sitting at a coffee house with a local government CCTV camera pointed at him.
I have to admit, I somewhat do agree with GP. If you are developing a program it is useful to know how many of your users are using a certain feature, in order to know whether you still want to support it, or whether you want to support something else. But generally, there should be a simple check box which you tick, and the software should stop with that statistics collection.
Are smartphones mandatory? No they aren't. But if you don't have a smartphone you might have issues to get friends if you are younger than a certain age, because most of the communication happens over smartphones/smartphone apps.
Is the pebble watch mandatory by the government? No, it isn't. But if you don't wear it, you won't get insured by some employers. So simply don't take the job, right?
Then this is where the law makers should get active and outlaw requiring certain technology for insurance or employment, or enforce privacy protection for youths.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
#GoodEnoughSmartEnoughAndDoggonnitPeopleLikeHim!
> There's NO reason for a company to collect data, period.
That's right! They should just blindly develop stuff without any user feedback at all. No data, at all, should be collected. They shouldn't collect your billing address, they should just send 'em out to random people! They shouldn't find out what features you use more, they should just disable all the features - including the start button.
Wait, what?
Are you daft or did you mean to say that it should be opt-in?
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
This "social only over apps" issue will continue to affect this generation as it gets older. It has nothing to do with youths, just with the availability of technology and youths adapting to new things far more easily.
Nah, "similar what HTC has done..." makes even less sense!
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
"Don't like conditions - don't buy it" could apply to pretty much any condition, right?
Yet there are numerous laws that prohibit this and that in TOC.(e.g. warranty conditions in EU, see Apple's woes in Italy)
Now, do you think that thas laws are useless/evil/etc or do you think that "don't like - don't buy" might not cut it in some situations?
Yeah, and have you looked at the European economy, European customer service, or European innovation? They suck. And the more we adopt European style laws, the more the US will suck just like Europe. In the US, restrictions on the ability to enter contracts more freely already hurts people badly; we shouldn't let it get any worse.
And the VR headset is a simple illustration why: you will only get cheap, high quality VR if companies can record and collect this data. There is also no rational reason to keep them from doing so. Al Franken is at least as much of a big, fat idiot as Rush Limbaugh.
It's hypocratic to consistently ask for less regulation? I'm not sure what you're getting at.
Wish I had mod points for this but the effort spent logging in and a hearty HELL YA will have to suffice.
There's NO reason for a company to collect data, period.
If that is true then why are they doing it?
I'm not installing spyware, I'm not running a spy OS, and I definitely don't need a spybot hardware piece. It's useless bullshit.
But you likely use a phone, go in places that have CCTV and right now you're using the public net.
Sure, and we're all on board with that. The problem is that each and every piece of new technology is going to be saddled with this unless we solve it legislatively.
So why don't you invest in open source? You don't need to have the newest shiny all the time, yes you'll be a bit behind but support those technologies that allow you to modify them and turn off things you don't like instead of funding the companies doing exactly the things you don't like to you. You're paying them to abuse you and then complaining about it. Stop being a submissive and start actively supporting the projects set out to empower you.
Are smartphones mandatory? No they aren't. But if you don't have a smartphone you might have issues to get friends if you are younger than a certain age, because most of the communication happens over smartphones/smartphone apps.
Then your prospective "friends" don't much care about the doom-and-gloom pontificating of these privacy violations. You see it as a big deal, sure, but why? I have an oculus at my house, now if they can get this information from it what is the scenario you offer that would convince me to get rid of it?
To be honest, my data aren't *this* important for me. The main reason why I prefer open source is control. I don't like software that does what its manufacturer told it, and not what I tell it to do.
Think of a chat app. What if I want to use it via a desktop application? Should I be required to wait for the manufacturer to write a browser version of it that can be used on the desktop?
Yes, I admit, I'm not the kind of guy who changes and recompiles some piece of open source software just to scratch some itch. But open source software is almost always designed to be mainly controlled by the user, not the manufacturer. Also I like the community much better.
To get back to the topic, I waited to buy a smartphone until I was sure there was an open source ROM available. Similar will probably be true for the oculus rift: there will probably be a VR headset with less spyware and more ability to control it in a few years. I have the patience to wait until then to get a VR headset, if I ever want a VR headset (currently I don't).
Well that doesn't answer the question and you seem to be complaining about a problem that doesn't exist (or at least one that you don't have or understand).
This sentence is only true of the Samsung Gear VR, not the Oculus Rift, which contains its own screen. This is why the specifications for the Rift include a resolution:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/v...
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
Yeah, fuck it since you can't have 100% privacy then you shouldn't have any at all.
No I'm saying your privacy is far more erroded by the things you do that track your location around the world and capture the information you send than your VR toy that captures usage info. But the paranoid social retards have no concept of the difference between telemetry data and accessing everything on your computer.
Even if you believe that this is some conspiracy to get at your files then simply only install it under a "gaming" user account that doesn't have access to your files, or on a dedicated gaming system, or don't connect it to the net while you're using it. See even for the completely paranoid there are simple solutions that any even half technically-minded person could come up with, the most simple of all security solutions but for the keyboard warriors like you this isn't about solving the percieved problem, it's about complaining about it. And that is all you will do, no solution, no action, just whining and whining.