Support NeoGAF

[Oersted]

Journalism, and gaming journalism for that matter, has many problems. One of the biggest is that journalists tend to act like a pack of wolves. They tend to attack the weakest link in the chain, when everyone else does. That weak link was, regarding the recent NSA and GCHQ scandal, Microsoft.

Recap:

GCHQ, the british spy agency, is running a program called Tempora. Tempora offers the GCHQ direct access to fibre-optic cables that carry internet data in and out of the UK. If you wonder why companies are giving them access, well they are forced to do it. Obviously.

On the other hand, we have Prism. Prism is the program by NSA, which gives them basically access to every american provider of Internet services, mainly Google, Facebook, Yahoo and well Microsoft. May I quote:

NSA had access to chats and emails on Hotmail.com, Skype, because Microsoft had “developed a surveillance capability to deal” with the interception of chats, and “[f]or Prism collection against Microsoft email services will be unaffected because Prism collects this data prior to encryption.” Also according to The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald even low-level NSA analysts are allowed to search and listen to the communications of Americans and other people without court approval and supervision. Greenwald said low level Analysts can, via systems like PRISM, "listen to whatever emails they want, whatever telephone calls, browsing histories, Microsoft Word documents. And it’s all done with no need to go to a court, with no need to even get supervisor approval on the part of the analyst."

Now add Kinect to that.

I have no problem whatsoever with Microsoft getting flak about this. But I miss, and certainly journalists didnt deliver that, reports about what Nintendo and Sony are doing. Because it could be, just maybe, if you dont buy a Microsoft product for gaming, you could choose a Sony or a Nintendo product.

So, are we safe if we use a Vita? Or Google apps on WiiU?

Or in short, what do you think:

Can we trust Sony and Nintendo? Please, leave fanboy wars out.

 

[hwy_61]

Uh, no?

 

[Silky]

Don't trust any company handling your money and personal information.

 

[Stike]

Snowden said "all companies with physical ties to the US" that would include pretty much every big global company, if you think about it...

 

[RumblingRosco]

Nintendo's lack of internet and technological competence is the greatest form of security against government tapping. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't know how to help the government access their data.

 

[Leezard]

I don't think we should fully trust any company, but until we have some kind of evidence or reports to really mistrust it, I think using their services instead of a company that has this evidence is reasonable.

 

[Kurtofan]

Nintendo knows when your body is ready.

 

[qko]

I'll pee my pants if Sony is collecting info. Their info gets leaked all the time. And Nintendo? Wouldn't even know what to do with it anyway since their online sucks.

www.instantrimshot.com

I kid I kid.

 

[batbeg]

I trust Sony because if they betray me then they will reimburse me by giving me some free games. I trust Nintendo because they don't really know how the internet works and it wouldn't be their fault if they let go of my information.

 

[lifa-cobex]

undoubtedly trust?
No

However I will tend to listen and keep level headed to a company that doesn't juggle its answers to my questions.

 

[Gorillaz]

Nintendo is stuck in the 90s when it comes to online. They couldn't even pull off the same stuff MS did even if they tried.

 

[chickdigger802]

never trust tempura I say... well i can make some kickass tempura... i'm no one suspicious!



and ya, trust no one.

ever.

 

[Bundy]

I think the NSA can't force shit onto SONY and Nintendo, because they aren't an american company.

 

[LeBoef]

rootkit never happened

 

[patientx]

Nintendo's lack of internet and technological competence is the greatest form of security against government tapping. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't know how to help the government access their data.

This.

 

[Oregano]

Nintendo collects a lot of data from the services they provide and you are notified of this fact. This includes stuff like Swapnote and Miiverse.

However they never really ask for personal information, and tend to discourage sharing it on their platforms. You can own a 3DS and use it fully without giving any personal information out to people. That's why Friend Codes were made after all.

 

[Oppo]

Kinect is more than a mere camera; it very much wants to be turned on all the time, it can map environments in 3D and see in the dark.

And MS has a history of this sort of gov't cooperation, and is US-based.

So they are sort of unique in these regards.

Smartphones and portables don't perch in your living room. They look at the inside of your pocket most of the time.

 

[enzo_gt]

I think the NSA can't force shit onto SONY and Nintendo, because they aren't an american company.

Can they threaten to cut them off for operating in America?

With the NSA going as far as they have, I doubt something like that would make them
immune so long as they're operating overseas. I don't really understand the perspective where they are immune, really.

 

[Skeff]

Well...They probably just give information to the Japanese government, who haven't been caught yet...so...It's your call, they didn't try to do the mandatory camera either so there's that.

 

[Shiggy]

Nintendo doesn't even know how to connect your Wii U account with your 3DS account. The NSA employees would rather shoot themselves than go through the Nintendo account mess.

 

[tokkun]

What data do Sony and Nintendo have that you are concerned about government agencies gaining access to?

 

[Deleted member 125677]

This is why I only play my 3DS in my fallout shelter

 

[MMaRsu]

I would most certainly hope that companies like Sony and Nintendo which are not based directly in the US have any ties to the NSA.

Nintendo doesn't even know how to connect your Wii U account with your 3DS account. The NSA employees would rather shoot themselves than go through the Nintendo account mess.

Haha also that.

 

[dubq]

Recap:

GCHQ, the british spy agency, is running a program called Tempora. Tempora offers the GCHQ direct access to fibre-optic cables that carry internet data in and out of the UK. If you wonder why companies are giving them access, well they are forced to do it. Obviously.

MMMMMMM DAT TEMPURA!

 

[mustafa]

Yes, I trust the NSA, whose stated purpose is to spy on foreigners, to not be targeting two foreign technology companies with large foreign userbases.

 

[axisofweevils]

Nintendo? Definitely not. In this case, their conservative Japanese nature is a good thing.

This is the company that after all still insists you type in a 12 digit number and not to share your Real Name when you befriend someone on the 3DS, and admonishes you on Miiverse if you attempt to link to your website, Twitter or any personally indentifying information.

 

[Lordwindowlicker]

Nintendo is stuck in the 90s when it comes to online. They couldn't even pull off the same stuff MS did even if they tried.

You're so mad that your words don't even make sense.

 

[Drencrom]

There's a reason why every device has a camera nowadays.

 

[stonesak]

Can they threaten to cut them off for operating in America?

With the NSA going as far as they have, I doubt something like that would make them
immune so long as they're operating overseas. I don't really understand the perspective where they are immune, really.

There are far too many international companies vital for the American economy for the NSA to threaten any sort of sanctions if a company refuses to cooperate. That doesn't mean Sony, Nintendo, or any other company wouldn't choose to, however.

 

[Riki]

The data that Nintendo collects is pretty much worthless to anyone. How much you play games. e-Mail. General stuff like that.
Sony collects a bit more, but they're still pretty much just based in Electronics.

Microsoft, on the other hand, owns a number of email and messaging services that provide a wealth of data that most people probably don't want getting out.

You can not trust Nintendo and Sony, but they don't have even close to the data that Microsoft does.

 

[jmls1121]

Nintendo collects a lot of data from the services they provide and you are notified of this fact. This includes stuff like Swapnote and Miiverse.

However they never really ask for personal information, and tend to discourage sharing it on their platforms. You can own a 3DS and use it fully without giving any personal information out to people. That's why Friend Codes were made after all.

Pretty much this. Nintendo offers online up to the point where these concerns really come into play. Which I'm pretty glad about.

 

[rpmurphy]

Nintendo's lack of internet and technological competence is the greatest form of security against government tapping. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't know how to help the government access their data.

Database dump.

 

[RM8]

Oh yes, I'm terrified of Nintendo's groundbreaking spying technology.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Nope

Pre-paid cards and physical discs for me

Not for NSA reasons though

I think hackers are more worrying tbh

Well that and cancelling a recurring subscription can be a PITA

 

[BGBW]

That would explain the time when a CIA agent turned up on my doorstep and asked if he could sell his turnips in my New Leaf game. Always wondered how he got access to that data.

 

[ffdgh]

Sony? Hardly worried.
Nintendo with their current tech? Not at all lol.

 

[Riki]

That would explain the time when a CIA agent turned up on my doorstep and asked if he could sell his turnips in my New Leaf game. Always wondered how he got access to that data.

Trade turnips for government secrets! It's the only way!

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Uh, no?

.

 

[InsaneZero]

Trade turnips for government secrets! It's the only way!

The market is impervious to insider trading.

 

[Orca]

The data that Nintendo collects is pretty much worthless to anyone. How much you play games. e-Mail. General stuff like that.
Sony collects a bit more, but they're still pretty much just based in Electronics.

Microsoft, on the other hand, owns a number of email and messaging services that provide a wealth of data that most people probably don't want getting out.

You can not trust Nintendo and Sony, but they don't have even close to the data that Microsoft does.

You realize Sony is more than just the electronics wing, right? They back an ISP in Japan, for instance, and when I registered my Bravia they got a whole bunch of information that didn't really seem relevant, but also didn't seem like it would be a problem to offer up at the time.

 

[Darth Tigris]

Some of you need to watch Person of Interest. Awesome fiction, but it'd open your eyes a bit to how vulnerable we are to ALL technology. Thinking that it's company dependent is extremely narrow.

 

[Monty Mole]

I think the NSA can't force shit onto SONY and Nintendo, because they aren't an american company.

They can make it a pre-requisite for exporting to the US market.

Some of you need to watch Person of Interest. Awesome fiction, but it'd open your eyes a bit to how vulnerable we are to ALL technology. Thinking that it's company dependent is extremely narrow.

Person of Interest is silly.

 

[NinjamicWZ]

I'd rather be spied on by other governments than my own government. The whole best friend stabbing you in the back dynamic comes into play here.

 

[Riki]

You realize Sony is more than just the electronics wing, right? They back an ISP in Japan, for instance, and when I registered my Bravia they got a whole bunch of information that didn't really seem relevant, but also didn't seem like it would be a problem to offer up at the time.

But that's what I mean. They aren't asking for super personal information. That's normal stuff you use to sign up to services like that.
As far as I know, Sony doesn't have their own mega messaging system like Skype or Hotmail.
I'd still rather Sony not share information to the government for no reason, but I'm not nearly as apprehensive about it as I am with Microsoft.

 

[iamshadowlark]

If by trust, you mean that believe they won't fork over whatever the likes of the NSA wants at the drop of a dime, then maybe. Unlike MS, or Facebook, or Google, etc these are Japanese companies who I think would be reluctant to the type of pressure the organizations would try to put on them.

 

[morpix]

Read your Terms of Service and User License agreements. You agree to all of it. If you don't, don't use the products.

 

[Magwik]

Nintendo doesn't even know how to connect your Wii U account with your 3DS account. The NSA employees would rather shoot themselves than go through the Nintendo account mess.

.

 

[mantidor]

Do people really think Nintendo "doesn't know how the Internet works"?

They only gather information they find useful, but I wouldn't be surprised at all from them giving access to say, Miiverse censored posts to US officials that maybe were "troubling". Yes they probably don't record IPs, or maybe they do, there's no reason at all to just trust Nintendo, the quality of their service regarding accounts doesn't mean they don't have massive data on you.

 

[Coffee Dog]

I would trust a japanese company over an american one at the very least, and especially nintendo considering they don't even have the capability.

But really, I don't give a fuck at all. Hell, I'm posting on GAF from google chrome. I wouldn't be using modern technology at all if I was scared.

 

[Riki]

Do people really think Nintendo "doesn't know how the Internet works"?

They only gather information they find useful, but I wouldn't be surprised at all from them giving access to say, Miiverse censored posts to US officials that maybe were "troubling". Yes they probably don't record IPs, or maybe they do, there's no reason at all to just trust Nintendo, the quality of their service regarding accounts doesn't mean they don't have massive data on you.

You think Terrorists are going to plot something using MiiVerse?
The data collected there is both trivial and open to the public. Anyone can see it.