Xbox 360 LIVE… Privacy? What privacy?

by Nick Haywood on 5 December 2005, 09:52

Tags: Xbox 360, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Xbox 360

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qad6i

Add to My Vault: x

UPDATE: Privacy settings



With thanks to the several e-mails, in particular the one out of a dozen that didn't just hurl abuse, we'd like to point out that there IS is way to adjust these privacy settings between everyone, friends only or no-one at all.

The options to change the privacy settings can be accessedby selecting your gamer profile whilst in the Xbox LIVE blade and then editing your profile. Whilst this provides the degree of privacy many users may well want, it is the opinion of the Team HEXUS that these options should be an 'opt-in' option not an 'opt-out'.

Update 2:

Now we have many e-mails from lots of people ranging from derision of this article through to thanking us for raising the issue. It seems that many users didn't realise that all this information was being displayed and were gratefulo to HEXUS for flagging it up.

Several readers wrote in accusing us of over-blowing the whole thing but we stand firm by the belief that this is an option that should be an 'opt in' function rather than an 'opt out'. Several mails questioned just how paranoid someone would have to be to not want this information displayed but this is a matter of personal choice and down to the individual. The article was written to highlight just how much information is displayed by Xbox LIVE which you have to opt out of rather than choose to opt in.

Many see this as a non-issue, something that no-one should be concerend about and that is their choice, which we totally respect, but the article stands as being valid for highlighting an issue which many users, especially those less used to Xbox LIVE, were completely unaware of.


« PREVIOUS PAGE

HEXUS Forums :: 25 Comments

Login with Forum Account

Don't have an account? Register today!
Posted by Lord Kordir - Mon 05 Dec 2005 10:22
Usually I would agree with you but this time round I think you may be blowing things way out of proportion.

Does anyone really care if other live users can see if they are watching a movie? It works both ways after all. They can't see which film you're watching can they? It's hardly a major invasion of privacy in my opinion. You are limited to doing the following with the 360 (I don't know how many options this tracks);

Game, Music, Photos, DVD Video, MCE, XBL

So, only people on your friends list or those that you've just played against can see if you're doing one of the above options (and no further information as to the detail). That is all they will see and they do not even see a sequence of events, only the current one. I really don't see that anyone who currently uses Live being bothered by this. It is just an evolution of the system used by the orginal Xbox. That did tell you if someone was in the dashboard or in a game. You could argue that even that is an invasion of privacy. Where do you draw the line?

Being a cynic, I think the gamercard is more instrusive than anything else. After all it does tell people which country you live in! Live gamers could even track you if you emmigrated, lol ;)
Posted by Nick - Mon 05 Dec 2005 10:43
I have to disagree. When I'm online with the PC, I can use any one of half a dozen game-finder type programs to find my friends… but I can then turn that program off when I want to do something other than game.

Xbox LIVE flags my activities to anyone I've come into contact with, all the time, regardless of whether I'm playing or not.

Why should Microsoft feel it's right that a total stranger should know I'm watching a movie or playing music?

What does me using MCE have to do at all with Xbox LIVE? The answer is ‘nothing’, so why tell everyone about it? And why tell people I don't know?

By all means, if I'm gaming, show people where i am and what I'm playing, but otherwise, let me do my thing in private!
Posted by Lord Kordir - Mon 05 Dec 2005 11:09
I can only think of one legitimate reason for allowing people to see what you are currently doing (with relevance to gaming). I may be completely wrong on this one but it makes some level of sense to me.

If someone can see what you are doing on your 360 then they can invite you to a game or talk to you via the headset depending on that activity. For example, if a friend of mine was watching a DVD I probably wouldn't bother him, whereas if he was listening to music or browsing photos I may.

This functionality of Live only gives limited details as to what you are doing anyway.
Posted by Nick F - Mon 05 Dec 2005 13:38
Nick
Why should Microsoft feel it's right that a total stranger should know I'm watching a movie or playing music?

As long as they don't tell people what you are watching does it really matter? It's not like anyone can do anything about it.
Posted by iMc - Mon 05 Dec 2005 13:55
It's all a bit pointless really - why even bother letting people know that your watching a film etc… it's got no relavance to the Xbox Live service, it doesn't improve it in any way. They should implement a simple Busy, Playing Game etc menu to let you choose which Status you want to be in which is much more helpful and less intrusive.

Btw I'm not sure James The Juam would like everyone on the net knowing he was watching a movie… :p

SEE NEWER »