THE GERMAN data protection commissioner has warned Microsoft that it's Xbox One could represent a privacy threat.
The Xbox One was announced just last week and has courted controversy by not being clear about certain elements of its performance, costs, digital rights management and now its privacy implications.
The Federal Data Protection Commissioner Peter Schaar spoke to Der Spiegel, telling it that if he knows one thing about the console, it is that it is a risky proposition.
"Microsoft pushes a monitoring device in the market," he said. "The Xbox continuously records all sorts of personal information about me. Reaction rates, my learning or emotional states. These are then processed on an external server, and possibly even passed on to third parties. Whether they will ever deleted, the person can not influence."
Last month the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information fined Google €145,000, saying that it would not stand by and allow the firm to walk away from its car-based WiFi snarfing.
"In my estimation this is one of the most serious cases of violation of data protection regulations that have come to light so far. Google did cooperate in the clarification thereof and publicly admitted having behaved incorrectly," said Hamburg commissioner for data protection and freedom of information Johannes Caspar on announcing the fine.
Xbox One privacy concerns follow similar fears about Google Glass. Most recently, the US Congress told Google that it must explain how it will prevent collecting sensitive user data through the wearable tech, giving the firm until 14 June to respond. µ
