Support NeoGAF

[tafer]

To give you an understanding of how many people 3 hops in a network is I just checked my Linkedin profile. A 100+ connections gives me access to about 3 million people. So I have 100+ connection, my connections each have 100+ on average as well, as do the friends of my connection and this results in a number in the millions. Do I actually know 0.0004% of those people? Hell no, nor will I ever.

Yep, it's kinda funny actually and it can get even worse depending on your interpretation of "connections". For example, let's say a person of interest is a registered GAF user; is every single user of GAF related to said person? are even guest ("identified" by their IPs) related?

Scary times my friend, and even scarier that some people defend these stuff.

 

[SneakyStephan]

I hate this assumption. It's unreasonable. Some of us just don't think the Kinect sitting there on is something to worry about.

Translation: as long as I get mine.

 

[Elrina]

Bringing other devices into the conversation is not changing the subject. There aren't many(any?) smartphones, tablets or laptops released today without a front facing camera. The kinect requirement for the X1 is analogous to the cameras I mentioned in those other devices. I can't buy a modern apple mobile device, for example, without the front facing camera(or mic). The relevance of these devices in this discussion is that they have been embraced by the public at large.

If prism is the primary concern, then the connected devices we already own are spying on us right now. No one I know owns an X1 yet. Millions own Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft and Amazon devices that have front facing cameras, microphones and they are always connected. This entire discussion is moot because everyone involved in it had to be connected to the internet.

So the point I'm getting at is that, in order for us to ensure that we are not being spied on, we have to disconnect from the web and discard our digital devices. If people aren't willing to do that, then why should they single out the X1?

Every device needs to be considered on it's own. It's easily possible to have a lot more control over what a laptop or smartphone does, and to be able to monitor whether or not one of those things is being used without your consent.

By deflecting to one of those other devices, however, you acknowledge that there is some risk to it. It is possible. If it is possible, and a lot of people are concerned with it, then what defense do you have for it's requirement to remain plugged in even when fully disabled?

Microsoft is not perfect. They can make mistakes, and have in the past. Do all of you apologists think it's okay for it to be required to be connected even when disabled, or do you at least concede that it should be an option for those who are concerned about their privacy?

 

[iwb]

Every device needs to be considered on it's own. It's easily possible to have a lot more control over what a laptop or smartphone does, and to be able to monitor whether or not one of those things is being used without your consent.

By deflecting to one of those other devices, however, you acknowledge that there is some risk to it. It is possible. If it is possible, and a lot of people are concerned with it, then what defense do you have for it's requirement to remain plugged in even when fully disabled?

Microsoft is not perfect. They can make mistakes, and have in the past. Do all of you apologists think it's okay for it to be required to be connected even when disabled, or do you at least concede that it should be an option for those who are concerned about their privacy?

I'm not apologizing for anything or anyone. The point of my post is that, collectively, society has embraced the conveniences of modern always on connected devices. Embracing those conveniences comes with a price. Data for/from our various services and devices is stored on servers that someone else has control over.

In the past, convenience only cost consumers more money, but today it costs us money plus our data. I understand that owning the kinect puts my privacy in question. The problem for me is that my privacy has been put into question from all the other services and devices I have chosen to use over the years. So I feel like, if I were to avoid the X1 because of kinect and the privacy concerns that come with it, then I should also avoid connecting my smartphone, my tablet and my laptop to the web. Cancel my various accounts (online or otherwise). Avoid going to the doctor or hospital. Work under the table and drop my insurance, because each serves as a source of data about me that is stored somewhere out of my control.

A breach of the data that kinect could capture about me is, imo, less damaging than the data my bank or doctor's office maintains on their servers, computers or paper records. So, if I am concerned about my privacy(I am), then I would start with ensuring the security of my banking data or my medical records.

If I decide to purchase one, the X1 will sit in one room of my house. It could gather data about my appearance, my voice and my responses to media. It could also be secretly listening to my conversations when not in use. That is a concern, but most of this stuff is possible with my smartphone and that goes with me everywhere. So if I'm willing to continue taking the risk of compromising my privacy with my smartphone, then I don't see a reason to respond any differently to the X1.

 

[jWILL253]

Some of you have your head stuck so deep in the sand, your faces might as well turn into glass...

 

[3rdamention]

I like how Youtube is on their and no one is complaining. Youtube by default means everything Google.

Because you are on a video games forum discussing video games and consoles. There are many other forums out there you can join to complain about YouTube and Google. Its pretty simple really... ..


If I'm not mistaken this is NOT a thread about YouTube or Google but Microsoft and the Kinect. It says so in the title, just read it.....

 

[Grimhammer]

I think some are getting lost in the forest.

Kinect 2.0 is a different beast than a smartphone or tablet. I can turn off my phones camera sharing. I can get apps that monitor traffic on my devices - many of which are such small start ups that I'm relatively certain are not NSA agents. Lol

Kinect 2.0 does not merely listen for "on" "off" and it's video is advanced enough to read the beer in your hands and provide said beer company with data to further it's ads. My cellphone photos would need to be uploaded to say Instagram and then read by software to match what kinect can do on the fly.

Kinect 2.0 is also a massive investment that MS still can't seem to get it to achieve the holy grail of motion control - 1:1 sword fighting! Why? They have more money than God! This leads me to believe that their 3gb OS useage and R&D are being spent elsewhere than gamers wants.

For what it's worth - I will not sacrifice FURTHER privacy issues with my life simply for a device to change channels and target ads towards me. I game 4-5hrs in one session...kinect is not the device for core gamers.

 

[cdwjustin]

personally i doubt this... its not like there gonna say "we'd just let it happen" but who knows

 

[Odrion]

If people aren't willing to do that, then why should they single out the X1?

Because those other devices; our computers, our cellphones, are necessities in today's society.

The Xbone is a toy. a tooooooooooooooooooooy.

(Also it's giant hyper-camera that can interpret subtle facial gestures and heartbeat is a little creepy.)

 

[Mudkips]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

You really think we're that stupid, Microsoft? The fuck are you gonna do if they have all legal rights to get the data? You did jack shit until now.

You fucking checked HTTPS links sent via Skype, claiming it was to prevent spam.

MS scanning links sent via Skype is indeed to prevent malware and spam.

A link starting with HTTPS doesn't mean shit - it just means it's using the HTTPS protocol. They cannot hijack your session by following your link any more then the person you're sending the link to can. Any site that told you differently is lying to you.

 

[Elrina]

So if I'm willing to continue taking the risk of compromising my privacy with my smartphone, then I don't see a reason to respond any differently to the X1.

Alright then. It's clear how you feel about your own personal choice on the matter, and it's easy enough to respect that choice.

The problem we're facing is that my choice, and other's choices, aren't being respected. We can choose not to purchase it, and many (I could probably even be justified in saying most) of us won't.

But if we did want to purchase it, if we did want to play Forza or Halo or Project Spark or whatever, then shouldn't we be allowed to unplug it? You don't mind the privacy risk, of leaving yourself online, leaving it plugged in and connected full time. But for those who are concerned, and yet still want to be able to play games that don't require the Kinect, shouldn't we be able to? The device can be fully "disabled", why can it not be unplugged?

That's the ultimate issue I see, and I don't understand why everyone isn't united on at least that one point. I can deal with the fact that some people are fine with potentially giving up the privacy they have inside their home, even if I don't really understand why. We have different perspectives, okay.

But shouldn't we be joined in believing there should be a choice?

 

[GoofsterStud]

Because those other devices; our computers, our cellphones, are necessities in today's society.

No offense but my cell phone is never facing my bed... I also have a case the covers the camera of my phone. (They do exist) Hell you could put on a sticker if you wanted to cover it all the time.

What you are replying to has no merits.

You didn't even have to mention it was a toy.

 

[Garrett 2U]

I'm not sure why some people are blaming Microsoft for this privacy issue.
The US government is responsible.

And of course Sony wasn't involved with the NSA, they have no services that would be of interest to the NSA.
Microsoft runs Windows OS, Outlook/Hotmail, Skype, Azure, and Bing.

It isn't Microsoft's fault for offering such services, and they shouldn't be blamed for the possibility of NSA collecting data from Kinect.

If companies have to stifle innovation in order to protect their customers (us) from our government, then we are in a pretty bad state, and the government tracking what we eat in our family rooms is the least of our problems.

I'm not being apologetic, I want things to change.
Boycotting a company's product to protest a government policy is a form of living with the policy, not fighting against it.

 

[GoofsterStud]

I'm not being apologetic, I want things to change.
Boycotting a company's product to protest a government policy is a form of living with the policy, not fighting against it.

You do realize not only was Microsoft the first to go along with it... They also gave them above and beyond what was expected.

The fact that Kinect is mandatory while this happen is insane. If people could just get a Kinect-less version things wouldn't look so bad. They just need to give people who don't want there privacy in the bedroom options.

 

[BigDug13]

I'm not sure why some people are blaming Microsoft for this privacy issue.
The US government is responsible.

And of course Sony wasn't involved with the NSA, they have no services that would be of interest to the NSA.
Microsoft runs Windows OS, Outlook/Hotmail, Skype, Azure, and Bing.

It isn't Microsoft's fault for offering such services, and they shouldn't be blamed for the possibility of NSA collecting data from Kinect.

If companies have to stifle innovation in order to protect their customers (us) from our government, then we are in a pretty bad state, and the government tracking what we eat in our family rooms is the least of our problems.

I'm not being apologetic, I want things to change.
Boycotting a company's product to protest a government policy is a form of living with the policy, not fighting against it.

Boycotting the XBO is me saying to the government that I'm ok with the policy? The fuck?

 

[sleeping_dragon]

Why Kinect but not Skype MS?

 

[Alx]

They can collect video from Skype though right? What's the difference?

It clearly states voice and video data on that slide.

The difference is that a Skype video is something that you broadcast, and you are aware that it's going through their servers (I think it's even mentioned in the terms of use that those may be recorded).
It's very different from recording videos of people without their knowledge nor authorization.

 

[Garrett 2U]

You do realize not only was Microsoft the first to go along with it... They also gave them above and beyond what was expected.

Of course Microsoft was one of the first to be involved with it...
Top 3 companies that the NSA would be interested in are Facebook, Microsoft, and Google.
Probably in that order too.

Boycotting the XBO is me saying to the government that I'm ok with the policy? The fuck?

No, that isn't what I said.
Boycotting products that have cameras and microphones because of the possibility of the NSA spying on you is living with the policy, not fighting against it.
The problem is the government illegally spying on its citizens, not companies offering services.

 

[maeh2k]

They can collect video from Skype though right? What's the difference?

The difference is, that Skype data is inherently online, whereas Kinect audio and video is not meant to go to the internet (unless you use Skype on the Xbox).

It's one thing to just access data that's already out there, and another thing entirely to force Microsoft to collect data for no reason other than to spy on people. If they could do that, then no device with a camera and a microphone would be safe.

If they did that, it certainly wouldn't go unnoticed, either. With Skype there's no way to know if anyone gets your data. With Kinect, on the other hand, people would easily figure out that the Xbox is uploading significant amounts of data that it shouldn't.

 

[BigDug13]

Of course Microsoft was one of the first to be involved with it...
Top 3 companies that the NSA would be interested in are Facebook, Microsoft, and Google.
Probably in that order too.


No, that isn't what I said.
Boycotting products that have cameras and microphones because of the possibility of the NSA spying on you is living with the policy, not fighting against it.
The problem is the government illegally spying on its citizens, not companies offering services.

Boycotting products is not "living with the policy". That's one of the dumbest things I've read. Is the NSA the primary culprit? Yes. Does that mean I should buy products from the companies who were first in line to support them? No. Does the fact that I want to minimize my support to those companies somehow make me complicit in the acceptance of the NSA's actions? Fuck no it doesn't. Boycotting a product does not mean you accept government actions. But I can't exactly go shut the NSA down can I? So what can I do with my tiny amount of influence? I can stop supporting companies that support NSA wiretaps. Step two is get the fuck out of America which I'm also working on.

 

[maeh2k]

You do realize not only was Microsoft the first to go along with it... They also gave them above and beyond what was expected.

The fact that Kinect is mandatory while this happen is insane. If people could just get a Kinect-less version things wouldn't look so bad. They just need to give people who don't want there privacy in the bedroom options.

Bullshit. You have no idea what was expected of them. And there is no reason to think every company was approached simultaneously and Microsoft caved first, whereas all other companies tried to ignore the law.

 

[Dreamgazer]

No, that isn't what I said.
Boycotting products that have cameras and microphones because of the possibility of the NSA spying on you is living with the policy, not fighting against it.
The problem is the government illegally spying on its citizens, not companies offering services.

You are fighting against it.

You're telling the company that it's not a good idea to risk consumer trust over compliance with questionable government policies. If you know about an issue but still buy into it, that's telling the company that it's not worth worrying about losing or violating your trust.

The funny thing is - corporations break tax laws to better please managment/shareholders all the time.

 

[Garrett 2U]

The difference is, that Skype data is inherently online, whereas Kinect audio and video is not meant to go to the internet (unless you use Skype on the Xbox).

It's one thing to just access data that's already out there, and another thing entirely to force Microsoft to collect data for no reason other than to spy on people. If they could do that, then no device with a camera and a microphone would be safe.

If they did that, it certainly wouldn't go unnoticed, either. With Skype there's no way to know if anyone gets your data. With Kinect, on the other hand, people would easily figure out that the Xbox is uploading significant amounts of data that it shouldn't.

Well Skype is peer to peer (for text and audio, I think group video might use external servers) and on a more open platform. And Kinect is on a pretty closed platform. So theoretically, it would be easier to see Skype spying on us.

But your are pretty much correct otherwise. Microsoft has said that some audio can be offloaded to their servers to translate to text, which is similar to Apple's Siri setup.
However, I'm fairly positive that Kinect's video processing is all done on the actual hardware, and not cloud computed, so there should be no reason for Microsoft to be sending off video to any server.

 

[Dreamgazer]

Well Skype is peer to peer (for text and audio, I think group video might use external servers) and on a more open platform. And Kinect is on a pretty closed platform. So theoretically, it would be easier to see Skype spying on us.

But your are pretty much correct otherwise. Microsoft has said that some audio can be offloaded to their servers to translate to text, which is similar to Apple's Siri setup.
However, I'm fairly positive that Kinect's video processing is all done on the actual hardware, and not cloud computed, so there should be no reason for Microsoft to be sending off video to any server.

about that...

After buying Skype, Microsoft dramatically overhauled its architecture, replacing peer-to-peer "super nodes" with thousands of servers run by Microsoft -- a more centralized approach that may have made it easier for government eavesdroppers. Around the same time, Microsoft would no longer stand by Skype's earlier claim to be wiretap-unfriendly.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57593339-38/nsa-docs-boast-now-we-can-wiretap-skype-video-calls/

 

[Garrett 2U]

about that...



http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57593339-38/nsa-docs-boast-now-we-can-wiretap-skype-video-calls/

Oh interesting, I take that back. You wouldn't know where the data from Skype went.

 

[Dreamgazer]

I don't personally believe Microsoft will be spying on people over Kinect, as there are obviously ways to measure the amount of data going in and out of a house.

However, I do think it's valid for people to feel that Microsoft has betrayed or violated their consumer trust in some form. Trust, more than "convenience" or "innovation", is the real reason why some of us are willing to give up on privacy/data.

You wouldn't share your credit card information with me, yet I'm sure you have no problem handing that information to a gas attendant, pizza guy, or some foreign customer service rep half way across the globe. The only difference here is that you trust the brand, image and scale of that relative business over me, a nobody.

However, if any of the business were to betray your trust, leak your information or even have an employee use your CC (cause anyone can write down numbers) - will you still be able to trust that company?

Some people will, some people won't.
That's all there is to it.

Now, if you believe in that "if you don''t trust MS, then throw away everything" argument -
Please give me your credit card #. Cause don't be paranoid, you do it with a bunch of strangers already.

 

[maeh2k]

about that...



http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57593339-38/nsa-docs-boast-now-we-can-wiretap-skype-video-calls/

They didn't change the architecture of Skype for the NSA, though: http://www.zdnet.com/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-supernodes-for-scalability-not-surveillance-7000017215/

 

[freddy]

They didn't change the architecture of Skype for the NSA, though: http://www.zdnet.com/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-supernodes-for-scalability-not-surveillance-7000017215/

Kaufman, now a Microsoft employee.

Not the most credible position to hold in light of recent events.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Didn't see this thread earlier.

All MS have done by putting this statement out is confirm that Kinect can be used to spy on you and your family while it's in your house. Before that nothing was confirmed, just an assumption that because it was technically possible it would happen, now we know that it most certainly will happen.

 

[Dreamgazer]

They didn't change the architecture of Skype for the NSA, though: http://www.zdnet.com/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-supernodes-for-scalability-not-surveillance-7000017215/

Not arguing for or against that.

Just pointing out that it's no longer peer-to-peer.
The rest is for people to decide if they trust that.

Not the most credible position to hold in light of recent events.

To be fair, that would be his answer either way.

 

[something fishy]

I've found the perfect solution!! I'm not buying one.

My Live is about to end and with that my xbox days are done. I'm keeping the 360 and games but they'll get packed up over the next year or two and that'll be that.

shame, they went in entirely the wrong direction for me.

I'm certainly not up for being spied on by a foreign government by my console either.

 

[tino]

Some of you mention cameras on smartphones. If you take an Android phone and flash an AOSP rom on it, the chance of the camera being used by NSA is pretty low. AOSP is open sourced code maintained by the community.

ATT and Sprint used to have monitoring codes in their Android phones that got discovered pretty fast. There are tons 3rd party system tools you can use to inspect your phone.

Now the iPhone, its an end to end solution like the XBone. Its easier for NSA to get on it without being discovered. However the carriers still need to be in on the conspiracy because uploading pictures will incur data use.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but isn't this indirectly confirming a lot of people's fears about Kinect being able relay hear what people say back to MS and possibly beyond?

Why would MS have to challenge anything if it everything is stored locally and not sent back to MS?

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but isn't this indirectly confirming a lot of people's fears about Kinect being able relay hear what people say back to MS and possibly beyond?

Why would MS have to challenge anything if it everything is stored locally and not sent back to MS?

You aren't missing anything, that's exactly what they have done with this statement, confirm that this is not just some technical possibility, but a real threat to people's privacy.

I was not going to get Xbone, but now I will actively recommend to people not to get one either in light of this spying stuff. Given how intrusive MI5 are over here, they must be relishing the "opportunity" to fight "terrorism" by spying on people's homes through Kinect.

 

[DESTROYA]

Sure they will, MS is such a consumer oriented company : /

 

[Alx]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but isn't this indirectly confirming a lot of people's fears about Kinect being able relay hear what people say back to MS and possibly beyond?

Why would MS have to challenge anything if it everything is stored locally and not sent back to MS?

They said they would challenge any request to actively collect voice and video data. Which should mean those data are not stored now.

 

[freddy]

To be fair, that would be his answer either way.

I'd like to believe you, but my trust of Microsoft and their employees is at an all time low lately.

 

[maeh2k]

You aren't missing anything, that's exactly what they have done with this statement, confirm that this is not just some technical possibility, but a real threat to people's privacy.

They confirmed no such thing. They say that there's no law that could make them collect audio and video data, and the article concludes that it's unlikely that Kinect would become a spying tool.

I'd like to believe you, but my distrust of Microsoft and their employees isn't all that high lately.

Even if you distrust the company, you won't get any more credible information on why they changed their architecture.

The principal architect of Skype gave some very compelling reasons why they changed the architecture and no competing service such as Google Hangouts are adopting Skype's former architecture. Also, we are now seeing real improvements in the mobile Skype apps, which were known for using up quite a bit of battery.
Seems like a good enough reason for the change without alleging that the NSA must have forced them.

 

[avaya]

Were there new astroturfers that were banned in this thread?

 

[jWILL253]

They said they would challenge any request to actively collect voice and video data. Which should mean those data are not stored now.

They confirmed no such thing. They say that there's no law that could make them collect audio and video data, and the article concludes that it's unlikely that Kinect would become a spying tool.




Even if you distrust the company, you won't get any more credible information on why they changed their architecture.

The principal architect of Skype gave some very compelling reasons why they changed the architecture and no competing service such as Google Hangouts are adopting Skype's former architecture. Also, we are now seeing real improvements in the mobile Skype apps, which were known for using up quite a bit of battery.
Seems like a good enough reason for the change without alleging that the NSA must have forced them.

I don't know why any of you would take Microsoft at their word. This IS them indirectly confirming that Kinect spying is possible. Read in between the lines. It's a skill we all learned in grade school.

Not only that, but they lied to us about Skype spying. Why do you trust them 100% on an issue like this when they've already got caught lying about THE EXACT SAME ISSUE before?

 

[semiconscious]

They said they would challenge any request to actively collect voice and video data. Which should mean those data are not stored now.

which implies:
1) that collecting data is indeed doable
2) that there's room left for 'challenging' the nsa

the first implication seems obvious - data can as easily be stored as not (either locally or non-locally). the second implication's just laughable ...

whether or not the data is stored 'now' is irrelevant. you may remember a time, not so long ago, when nearly no such data on any platform was. lotta good that did ...

 

[CassiusLonginus]

Like others have said, this may not have been the smartest thing to say. Or the smartest way to approach the subject.

What a ton of people are going to read into this is that it is indeed possible that Kinect could be used for monitoring and perhaps that there is indeed data collection as part of what Kinect is for.

Some people can live with the uncertainty, but now...

 

[CadetMahoney]

A full breakdown of PRISM and the companies involved:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread957542/pg1

 

[Amir0x]

A full breakdown of PRISM and the companies involved:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread957542/pg1

It's so amazing. Not only did Microsoft work so tirelessly to "aggressively challenge" the government on PRISM, but they were the first company to jump gleefully aboard! Truly they work day and night in the name of the consumer.

 

[PanicFreak]

You are fighting against it.

You're telling the company that it's not a good idea to risk consumer trust over compliance with questionable government policies. If you know about an issue but still buy into it, that's telling the company that it's not worth worrying about losing or violating your trust.

The funny thing is - corporations break tax laws to better please managment/shareholders all the time.

No they don't. This comment ranks as one of the dumbest things I've ever read on this site.

Companies build a case for a tax treatment of certain transactions. Some are very aggressive but they then have to go and create financial reserves on their books based on the probability those transactions aren't upheld by a tax audit.

It doesn't do a company any good to break tax laws when there are so many advantageous legal things they can do.

 

[Kumo]

Having no mandatory Kinect is a better way of solving this problem.

So for the people who would buy Kinect separately, they're allowed to get spied on?

 

[Garjon]

How did I miss this? Wow, I cannot believe MS just said this, all they had to do was say that govt. spying with Kinect would not be feasible. It wouldn't totally convince everyone but it would be a damn sight better than the situation they have got themselves into now. I am actually a bit shocked that so few outlets have picked up on this, regardless of the state of gaming journalism right now. MS really need to publically sever all ties to the NSA and all other govt. agencies and then work on replacing some of the high level employees that got them into this mess in the first place.

And what the hell happened in this thread? Were all of these banned posters the same person or something?

 

[Amir0x]

How did I miss this? Wow, I cannot believe MS just said this, all they had to do was say that govt. spying with Kinect would not be feasible. It wouldn't totally convince everyone but it would be a damn sight better than the situation they have got themselves into now. I am actually a bit shocked that so few outlets have picked up on this, regardless of the state of gaming journalism right now. MS really need to publically sever all ties to the NSA and all other govt. agencies and then work on replacing some of the high level employees that got them into this mess in the first place.

And what the hell happened in this thread? Were all of these banned posters the same person or something?

One was an alt account, most were just crazed delusional fanboys defending the indefensible.

 

[Alx]

A full breakdown of PRISM and the companies involved:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread957542/pg1

I don't know about the reliability of those conspiracy websites, but at least he got it right when he detailed the value of social networking, browsing history etc. There are some slides about PRISM that I hadn't seen there, but the big picture is quite clear, it is indeed a data mining program more than a surveillance one (I suppose that there's nothing more that can be done with such a low budget).

How did I miss this? Wow, I cannot believe MS just said this, all they had to do was say that govt. spying with Kinect would not be feasible. It wouldn't totally convince everyone but it would be a damn sight better than the situation they have got themselves into now.

How would that be better ? If anything, it would be even less convincing, since most people would claim that it is feasible indeed, the only thing that could prevent it is a refusal from MS, which is exactly their statement.
But in the end, I suppose there's nothing they can say to convince anybody. If they say nothing it's suspicious, if they say it's impossible it's suspicious, and when they say they will oppose it it's suspicious too. There's no way they can win that one when people are already convinced that the NSA funded kinect to record all the living rooms in the world.

 

[TriAceJP]

Wouldn't it be more of an "aggressive challenge" if they would, you know, let us disconnect the thing?

They are pretty much saying "You need to have it in! Why? Don't worry about it. But don't worry, you can trust us!"