After reading that title, you’re probably waiting for the punch line. Problem is, there isn’t one. This is 100% true. If they had their way, they’d be staring at you in your underwear right now!
Edward Snowden, who’s a wanted man in the United States on charges of leaking government secrets, revealed that the GCHQ in Britain actually identified the Kinect as a possible tool to use for surveillance (due to its prevalence in the homes of many residents across the country). The agency was quick to respond to the allegations (although it didn’t do much to calm the nerves of some who feel a bit violated by our friends across the pond). “All of GCHQ’s work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework,” they state, “…which ensures that our activities are authorized, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners and the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee.”
Naturally, this causes a bit of a PR problem for Microsoft, as its name is once again being dragged into the middle of another debate over privacy rights. The Xbox creator still vehemently denies any involvement, saying it has “…never heard of this program. However, we’re concerned about any reports of governments surreptitiously collecting private customer data.”
Microsoft maintains it will continue to deny any requests for customers private data made by the government (ours or otherwise), as well as reporting on them to the public.