Kinect was evaluated for mass surveillance by GCHQ

3.9
Leaked documents have revealed that the UK intelligence agency GCHQ was evaluating the viability of utilizing the Xbox 360's Kinect camera for mass surveillance. This comes on the heels of news that the agency had collected secret webcam images from almost 2 million Yahoo users without consent. According to documents the Yahoo spying program lasted only six months but little seems to have been gained from it.

However, we're concerned about any reports of governments surreptitiously collecting private customer data. That's why in December we initiated a broad effort to expand encryption across our services and are advocating for legal reforms.Microsoft


When asked for comment regarding this matter specifically Microsoft officially stated that they "had not even heard of the program.

How do you feel about a british intelligence agency performing these kinds of acts?

Posted:
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Comments

"Kinect was evaluated for mass surveillance by GCHQ" :: Login/Create an Account :: 113 comments

If you would like to post a comment please signin to your account or register for an account.

I-DA-KINGPosted:

What to they plan to find? Anything that they do that is worth getting the government to send police to your house they should't be doing infront of a camera. I just have my xbox ones kinnect facing my wall. Never plan to use it to play games and if I want to ill just turn it around

SolvePosted:

The Playstation Nation :)

T0RONTOPosted:

I could care less what my Kinect is doing the only time It see's me is when I sit down in front of it other than that, it never see's me

21Posted:

This is so pathetic. It's disgusting that people are spying on kinect users without them knowing.

AspersPosted:

Wow seriously i thought this would happen

WheyPosted:

Meds Kinect be watching people i knew it lol


Watching people without permission is strange, they could have seen many things -_-

AxePosted:

Resort I dont like the connect anyways, I dont think anyone should wanna use it


The thing is, I don't see why they couldn't just add the voice detection into the xbox itself, and just sell the kinnect for the camera as an extra.

Index_AddictPosted:

You know why does the government bother making these laws if they don't follow it themselves. I mean sure it can help prevent a lot of things, but monitoring and doing surveillance on us without our permission? I already feel violated

NBCPosted:

Well I'm in the USA but anyway, give me a second to BURN the kinect :P

DusknoirPosted:

Well, with the events going on in the world today it's really not surprising that the gov't monitors their people now over your shoulder they don't care how old you are. Honestly do you guys remember the 11 year old boy who hacked the FBI servers, or Syria and their chemical weapons, North Korea going crazy, the Boston bombing, these things going on in the world today just prove why gov'ts don't trust their people anymore. If your not doing anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about.