I know a lot of people will be all 'Well with our increasing relations with America' blah blah whatever. Yeah you're right, but those things aren't obvious and blatant, not unlike the Xbox One's new Kinect device.
For those who don't know, Xbox One comes with a Kinect device built in. It's a fun tool that allows more of an in-depth game experience where the player can directly influence the game with their voice and movements. For example in FIFA if you swear after the ref has made a decision, your club gets fined. Very very cool indeed, especially when you think of all the other possibilities this has to offer.
Now I only recently found out that the Kinect is always on. You can never turn it off, so everything you say and your motions are always being registered by this Kinect. Imagine when you are playing a game like FIFA and your gf walks in and steps on something, swears and you get the fine.
But let's take this more seriously, the Kinect also records everything and sends it back to its HQ, were they do whatever they want with the information they have gathered. It has been documented this information will be sold to third parties for advertisement companies so they can target you more accurately. If these companies can get hold of this information then who else. Obviously anyone can bid for your details.
In a recent argument I was observing, about this very subject the point was raised, 'Well if you don't agree with that, then stop using facebook, google Iphones etc.' And that person is 100% right. However the bit I left out is that the Kinect is a fully functioning camera. It's basically a CCTV aimed directly at you in the comfort of your own home and you can't turn it off whilst the Xbox is on. Now facebook and google, that's fine because it is me who types those things, it's my online fiction. It's not a real person saying those things but my avatar. My facebook profile has no written information about where I live, I have and can refuse to put anything in. Sure as soon as I click a link my IP address is recorded but so what, just my IP address, I can lie and be whatever I want. But with the Xbox One it's you that camera is looking at you.
As well this camera isn't no simple webcam, it has the ability to record your heartbeat. I don't know the science or how accurate this register of the measurement is but its still very impressive. It's a fairly powerful and complex device for a fun device for all your family. I know to some extent all you'll be doing is playing games on this console while you have it on, but what about the time you leave it on and your girlfriend/boyfriend surprises you and you forget that you are being recorded. Everything you do is saved and stored not just what you are playing but your actions. What about if you have children and you accidentally leave it on, your children are being filmed. And everyone has access to this.
There is nothing you can do about this. They use this information in what way they see fit because when you purchase and use this device you are complying with them. You agree with their terms and conditions and then it's totally theirs. Just like all those images you upload to facebook, not ours anymore friends, public domain.
But again with the Xbox its a camera and a live feed into your home and your decision to buy it, is accepting this technology and invasion of privacy. So when they turn around and introduce it to televisions, and it gets to a point were all T.V.'s and all games consoles have this device because you're acceptance to that technology.
And to be fair, nothing will happen with the information. The companies and government aren't all going to have a massive masturbation sleepover and watch everyone on the planet play games, it's for fairly harmless reasons. But what about in twenty years when the a party like the BNP gets into power and they have access to all that information and CCTV's into your houses. What happens then? And by that time, its ordinary for people to have a camera in your home. Just like its ok for people to have Iphones now, which is a SMART phone (which btw means Satellite Monitored and Radio Tracked.) That's right, that fucking stupid screen your caress and finger as you sit alone waiting for your mates to stop chatting up girls in the pub pretending you have mates but actually you are just playing some shit game that's 2 steps away from tetris is a tracker. You are a red bip on the map you tit. So yeah it will happen and your compliance to buy this is allowing them to think 'Oh yeah people don't mind a CCTV in their homes.'
'But I've got nothing to hi-' 'TIT!' Yes you have nothing to hide now but again in ten years what happens when they ban smoking inside your homes, or playing the guitar, or raise the legal age to drink and have sex to 21. Yes you have something to hide then. 'But that will never ha-' 'TIT!' Yes it will remember ten years ago when anyone could smoke anywhere and how it was ok to protest anywhere and suddenely there are all these bi-laws about where we can smoke and protest.
Just do me a favour and don't buy and xbox one and if you have already bought one, please read 1984 by George Orwell. Or watch the film.
Spot on as usual Tizza. Great post.
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