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This is gross in principle.

 

[Joeki11a]

I have absolutely no evidence to about what I'm about to say. But I do believe that the FBI, NSA, CIA, and local state/federal authorities have fouled plenty of 9/11 type attacks or smaller. PLENTY actually.

Stop it thats just lies

I say they have infiltrated groups

then cripple whatever they were going

To do.

No 911 style attacks

 

[Dreamgazer]

SNOWDEN: Not all analysts have the ability to target everything. But I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone from you or your accountant to a federal judge to even the president if I had a personal email.

I am naive enough that I don't think all of my skype calls are being watched or that there is someone who cares about watching me.

However, as a government worker, I just want to say this:

It's true, I am not suppose to access confidential information without a case being assigned to me.
It's true, I am not suppose to provide confidential information to anyone without having approval.

However, you're crazy if you think I can't just look up your SSN, address, confidential records, bank routing numbers, etc for my own "personal research."

I have the ability to screw with a bunch of people's lives if I really want to.

*god I hope I'm not going to get fired*

 

[SwiftDeath]

I have absolutely no evidence to about what I'm about to say. But I do believe that the FBI, NSA, CIA, and local state/federal authorities have fouled plenty of 9/11 type attacks or smaller. PLENTY actually.

I am certain that terrorist attacks/threats have indeed been stopped by most of the acronyms you mentioned

I just wish there was civilian oversight personally

I don't like Prism, I don't agree with Prism but I would feel a lot better if the US government had an oversight committee for things like that made up of US civilians who could view how much privacy we sacrifice for whatever gains those agencies get

There has to be a balance

Sure I want terrorist threats stopped but at what cost to my privacy?

 

[BigDug13]

Everything that a corporation says to defend themselves is not a lie. Some may be but not all things.

What would it take for Microsoft to do something disappointing in your eyes? How far do they have to go?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Microsoft continuing to better the industry /sarcasm

 

[freddy]

Did DF just looking this thread
https://twitter.com/digitalfoundry/status/355416198575423490

Digital Foundry seems to talk Microsoft up a lot and run to their defence. What's the reason for this?

 

[bidguy]

Digital Foundry seems to talk Microsoft up a lot and run to their defence. What's the reason for this?

moneyhat obviously

 

[h#shdem0n]

Tape over laptop's webcam crew checking in.

I did that ^_^

 

[BigDug13]

Digital Foundry seems to talk Microsoft up a lot and run to their defence. What's the reason for this?

Maybe they were always like this. We never noticed because the 360 truly did have the best looking multiplats all gen long.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

This is why I spend my productivity time in Ubuntu and only boot into Windows when I want to play a game.

Also, the apologists in this thread, holy shit, really?

 

[SEGAvangelist]

OR they collect masses of data all the time (which seems to be the way it works for other Prism taps), and only need a court order to run certain queries (if that) or to retrieve data from those collections associated with particular accounts.

How is that going stop all crime, though? They still need to do research in order to know which accounts should be mined. You need psychics like in Minority Report to do that.

 

[Joeki11a]

I am naive enough that I don't think all of my skype calls are being watched or that there is someone who cares about watching me.

However, as a government worker, I just want to say this:

It's true, I am not suppose to access confidential information without a case being assigned to me.
It's true, I am not suppose to provide confidential information to anyone without having approval.

However, you're crazy if you think I can't just look up your SSN, address, confidential records, bank routing numbers, etc for my own "personal research."

I have the ability to screw with a bunch of people's lives if I really want to.

*god I hope I'm not going to get fired*

Who owns Skype? Lol

 

[freddy]

moneyhat obviously

I'm not sure I'd go that far. You seem to be getting a bit loose with your comments. Perhaps take a break for a bit or get some fresh air. Everyone will still be here when you get back.

 

[AllIsOneIsNone]

I've got an easy test for one of you unfortunate people who buys an xbone: Make a big block of baking soda wrapped in suran wrap, start blowing lines and bagging it up into smaller ziplocks yelling "this is the shit, i'm going to sell so much of his grade A columbian cocaine!" See what happens.

 

[BigDaddyFatSack]

lmao, youre the one who thinks kinect is a window to your living room and im the one whos idiotic ?

It's easy to spot the people who took the effort to read documentations on PRISM surveillance program and those who didn't.

Stop wasting my time.

I did that ^_^

Did you open up your laptop and pulled out the mic too?

Digital Foundry seems to talk Microsoft up a lot and run to their defence. What's the reason for this?

Just being controversial for fun I suppose.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Digital Foundry seems to talk Microsoft up a lot and run to their defence. What's the reason for this?

Because this thread is a bit ridiculous?

 

[SwiftDeath]

How is that going stop all crime, though? They still need to do research in order to know which accounts should be mined. You need psychics like in Minority Report to do that.

Honestly this whole thing makes me think NSA tried to make person of interest a real thing but didn't get Harold to design it

Probably a windows 8 machine

 

[NullPointer]

Also, the apologists in this thread, holy shit, really?

First they'll say its not happening, then they'll say any collection of data is rare, then they'll say that yes, while collection is widespread and universal, everybody does it, and finally we'll settle on nobody having any right to privacy anywhere at any time, with constitutional protections being a quaint relic of some long lost age.

That's how these threads always go.

Because this thread is a bit ridiculous?

Which part?

 

[freddy]

Maybe they were always like this. We never noticed because the 360 truly did have the best looking multiplats all gen long.

Well I don't read Digital Foundry face offs or whatever it is they're called as a rule so I wouldn't know. I've just noticed since the DRM issue Digital Foundry has been posted here with overly defensive tweets and comments in favour of Microsoft and that's unusual to me.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

First they'll say its not happening, then they'll say any collection of data is rare, then they'll say that yes, while collection is widespread and universal, everybody does it, and finally we'll settle on nobody having any right to privacy anywhere at any time, with constitutional protections being a quaint relic of some long lost age.

That's how these threads always go.

Pretty much the pattern that I see, too.

I'll just avoid the issue by not buying an Xbox One as long as Kinect is required to be connected.

 

[AmyS]

I'm sure the NSA was monitoring everyone who used email and IRC over Dreamcast beginning in 1998-99.

Hell, same goes for Saturn NetLink, WebTV, and well, all the way back to the 70s and 80s as well.

 

[ari]

Stop it thats just lies

I say they have infiltrated groups

then cripple whatever they were going

To do.

No 911 style attacks

Crippling terrorist groups that can detonate a car bomb or use suicidal bombings in downtown whatever is/would be HORRIBLE. The fact that we haven't gotten hit like that is because of those agencies. I'm also positive that terrorist DO want to pull off a 9/11 type attack but can't at all now.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

Did DF just looking this thread
https://twitter.com/digitalfoundry/status/355416198575423490

Is this the official Digital Foundry twitter account? Did not expect a tweet like this there, not very professional.

 

[charsace]

Do you really think they're going to blockade the US borders from getting Japanese devices sold? You really think this is such a huge government conspiracy involving all 3 branches of government that has such reach that it would intentionally destroy international commerce if those companies don't play ball? The US government has issues, but what you think they're doing seems to be far fetched. I guess you're deflecting MS blame by trying to say the government heavily strong armed MS into compliance and they had no choice and deflecting saying Sony is doing the same thing, but it seems far fetched.

You really don't think Sony, Apple, Samsung, Google and other companies aren't playing ball with the government? Philip Reitinger is the Senior VP at sony. Just think about that for a second.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

Because this thread is a bit ridiculous?

You mean the part where the US government has the legal authority according to US law to request and gain access to computer systems and services provided by Microsoft? I don't find this "ridiculous" at all.

 

[h#shdem0n]

Did you open up your laptop and pulled out the mic too?

Nah, I guess I hoped that since the damn thing hardly works for me, it won't work for them either.

 

[Walshicus]

This is why I spend my productivity time in Ubuntu and only boot into Windows when I want to play a game.

Also, the apologists in this thread, holy shit, really?

Why would being on Linux help you from being spied on by the American government?

 

[BigDaddyFatSack]

Nah, I guess I hoped that since the damn thing hardly works for me, it won't work for them either.

Maybe they wanted you to think that it didn't work so you wouldn't waste time pulling it out.

dun dun DUN.

 

[Freki]

Why would being on Linux help you from being spied on by the American government?

Maybe because it's hard to hide backdoors in open source software?

 

[jmls1121]

I have seen a lot of crazy things on GAF, but MS fans wholly prescribing to neoconservative surveillance state ideology in order to defend the XBone takes the cake.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Yep!... I don't like this webcam on my laptop.. I might tape it up now...

Just run open sauce software, bro.

 

[BigDug13]

You really don't think Sony, Apple, Samsung, Google and other companies aren't playing ball with the government? Philip Reitinger is the Senior VP at sony. Just think about that for a second.

Pretty sure that Apple and Google were on the list. I didn't see Samsung or Sony on the leaked documents. Do you have a different list that you're going off of? We have documentation of Microsoft's involvement. We have no word about Sony's involvement. But keep deflecting.

 

[IslandHead]

Are you guys reading this article and the related PRISM articles? This is NOT wide spread surveillance. You cannot hide widespread video surveillance. You can't it at all because a constant video stream is easily detectable.

This is surveillance at request. As in the FBI asks and they comply. This won't affect Kinect other than for people who are paranoid.

On the subject of a Kinectless sku that would be absolutely foolish. Most of the people complaining about that will not buy an Xbox anyway and if they they will not use it as there primary console.

Microsoft needs the Kinect to be mandatory or developers won't use it. Its that simple. If MS offers a Kinectless sku I will instantly cancel my preorder. They need to remain stead fast in the face of all the bad PR. And they need to start showing examples of the Kinect being used in more XB1 games.

One of the ways they think PRISM works is by splitting fibre optic cables (hence the name, a prism splits light). No one knows for sure cause it is top secret stuff, and anyone who knows can't talk about it.

They can set up near internet tier one routers and just copy the information they want. They have already been doing it for a while

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A

Room 641A is located in the SBC Communications building at 611 Folsom Street, San Francisco, three floors of which were occupied by AT&T before SBC purchased AT&T.[1] The room was referred to in internal AT&T documents as the SG3 [Study Group 3] Secure Room. It is fed by fiber optic lines from beam splitters installed in fiber optic trunks carrying Internet backbone traffic[3] and, as analyzed by J. Scott Marcus, a former CTO for GTE and a former adviser to the FCC, has access to all Internet traffic that passes through the building, and therefore "the capability to enable surveillance and analysis of internet content on a massive scale, including both overseas and purely domestic traffic."[4] Former director of the NSA's World Geopolitical and Military Analysis Reporting Group, William Binney, has estimated that 10 to 20 such facilities have been installed throughout the United States.[2]

Using such a system it is possible for the NSA to get all the information going to Google, Apple etc. with out the company knowing. The only people who have to play ball are the Tier 1 Internet ISP people.

 

[DS-61-5]

Yes, after two generations with Xbox as my lead console, it joins smartphones, cameraphones, and integrated webcams as a device I will not own. Simple as that.

"We are the dead," indeed.

And for the record, I am employed--contrary to the mockery in this thread, one can hold a job, even in white collar work, without a smartphone.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

Why would being on Linux help you from being spied on by the American government?

Linux is an Open Source operating system, which means that bugs get fixed pretty fast and are generally handled on a full disclosure policy, and that everyone can check the source code for bugs and back doors. Of course there is no perfect security, but this will help quite a bit.

 

[Hari Seldon]

You really don't think Sony, Apple, Samsung, Google and other companies aren't playing ball with the government? Philip Reitinger is the Senior VP at sony. Just think about that for a second.

I don't think Sony and Samsung are, no. Apple and Google didn't play ball for a long time according to the Snowden leak. MS was first in line. "Sure largest customer, whatever you want! Want me to buy skype for you so you can monitor that too??? No problem!"

 

[eival]

whos the next sacrificial lamb going to be since Don Mattrick is already gone and they used up the "he was already planning to leave" card

the only thing left now is to lift the inability to disable kinect entirely, if they dont budge on that up to launch it will just further give merit that all these reports are the driving force to why they want to force you to keep the kinect attached at all times, to forget about it when its in "sleeping" mode. especially since you're running your cable tv and other media devices through it, who wants to get up and unplug the console each time you're not using it, since its the only way to ensure its not monitoring you, they want you to feel obligated to leave it plugged in.

ps. does everyone forget Paranormal Activity (3 or 4) where they used a kinect to film in night vision showing its constantly scanning the room with the millions of dots.

theres actual youtube of normal people testing it and showing its true as well

 

[ari]

I don't think Sony and Samsung are, no. Apple and Google didn't play ball for a long time according to the Snowden leak. MS was first in line. "Sure largest customer, whatever you want! Want me to buy skype for you so you can monitor that too??? No problem!"

Wowzers.

 

[someday]

Skype is on everything anymore. I think your phone is more of an issue than a game console. You don't keep private things like pictures or text conversations on a console like you do a phone.

Eh, Skype isn't on my phone or my computer. I do assume that anything I do on the internet is viewable to someone, either the government or just some lonely hacker, but I'm not about to allow my living room or bedroom to be under the same surveillance. I would think an online Kinect is going to hear and see a helluva lot more and we know that MS is willing to give all of this information to the NSA. Just think of the random conversations you have in your home and imagine someone being able to tap into that. No, I'm not up to anything illegal (anymore) but I just don't like the idea of being watched when I'm not really online. If MS one day sells an Xbone without Kinect being mandatory in any capacity, I might buy one but there is no way in hell I'm doing it now.

 

[Gemüsepizza]

You really don't think Sony, Apple, Samsung, Google and other companies aren't playing ball with the government? Philip Reitinger is the Senior VP at sony. Just think about that for a second.

But the PS4 isn't the device which has to be connected to a mandatory camera/microphone.

 

[BigDug13]

I'm just thinking about all the increased weed busts because Kinect caught you lighting up during Halo. DEA will be by shortly.

 

[NoirVisage]

Best get rid of that cell phone now too.

He can turn his cellphone off genius.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

You mean the part where the US government has the legal authority according to US law to request and gain access to computer systems and services provided by Microsoft? I don't find this "ridiculous" at all.

It ain't just Microsoft, dude. You probably use devices and software from many other companies on that list. I suppose you'll be boycotting Microsoft as well as Facebook, Google, Apple, and Youtube as well?

 

[NullPointer]

Are you guys reading this article and the related PRISM articles? This is NOT wide spread surveillance. You cannot hide widespread video surveillance. You can't it at all because a constant video stream is easily detectable.

You don't need a stream of video from a device like the Kinect. You can send snapshots of which accountholders are within the Kinect's detection range, their position and attitude in relative space, heart rate and possible key words or terms or even objects, if one was so inclined.

If you can remotely update the logic used by Kinect to interpret its audio/visual data, you can add new terms or objects that Kinect can seek, and can have the device return small metadata related to any hits on that search criteria.

In short, when you have a device that's a freakin tricorder with an internet connection that is always on, the possibilities are almost endless, and all without a perpetual stream of audio or video.

 

[BigDug13]

It ain't just Microsoft, dude. You probably use devices and software from many other companies on that list. I suppose you'll be boycotting Microsoft as well as Facebook, Google, Apple, and Youtube as well?

I'll be boycotting having a living room camera from those companies, yes.

 

[TouchMyBox]

Why would being on Linux help you from being spied on by the American government?

Of course using services with PRISM backdoors while running OSS isn't going to help you, running OSS and locking that shit down and getting away from as many services with PRISM backdoors helps. Run your own email server for email, talk to people on your own encrypted mumble server, etc.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

You don't need a stream of video from a device like the Kinect. You can send snapshots of which accountholders are within the Kinect's detection range, their position and attitude in relative space, heart rate and possible key words or terms or even objects, if one was so inclined.

If you can remotely update the logic used by Kinect to interpret its audio/visual data, you can add new terms or objects that Kinect can seek, and can have the device return small metadata related to any hits on that search criteria.

In short, when you have a device that's a freakin tricorder with an internet connection that is always on, the possibilities are almost endless, and all without a perpetual stream of audio or video.

Awesome tech right?

 

[Freki]

It ain't just Microsoft, dude. You probably use devices and software from many other companies on that list. I suppose you'll be boycotting Microsoft as well as Facebook, Google, Apple, and Youtube as well?

None of these companies (or any other for that matter) will be allowed to place an always on and always connected camera in my living or bed room...

 

[EvB]

ps. does everyone forget Paranormal Activity (3 or 4) where they used a kinect to film in night vision showing its constantly scanning the room with the millions of dots.

theres actual youtube of normal people testing it and showing its true as well

DRM AND Ghost! Microsoft just lost this gen