Much has happened the in last year regarding Americans - and the world's, understanding how our own government has collected the average joe's personal data. According the New York Times this included the collection of email logs and phone communications as well as the graphing of an individual’s social networks. So when the Xbox One implied the possible use of its Kinect motion sensor to track and deliver advertisements or to be used to collect information that would be sold to advertisers consumers understandably freaked out. Now Sony has updated its PlayStation 4 usage policies for the PlayStation Network to reserve the right to collect online information. It’s understandable that many PlayStation fans might be a little skittish with the idea of all this data collection.
Sony’s new terms say the information collected through the PlayStation Network could be used by Sony or an affiliate company in compliance with the law and the protection of the rights of the company and its users. As for what exactly will be collected Sony states that it cannot monitor “all PSN activity” and makes “no commitment to do so.”
"However, we reserve the right in our sole discretion to monitor and record any or all of your PSN activity…” So while Sony will not record everything a user does on the PlayStation, it can.
Sony says the idea of all this collection is the monitoring of the community to weed out the bad eggs and enforce its code of conduct. While the idea of monitoring to get rid of players ruining others experience is good idea, how much information are gamers willing to give away? When Microsoft announced similar terms earlier this year it earned the unenviable title of “Spy Box” and even implemented a cover for the Kinect sensor the calm down the uproar.
Did Microsoft take all the heat for its monitoring early so that the PlayStation could get away unscathed? Or have the revelations of data collection on the average citizen left consumers numb?
RELATED:Microsoft Clears the Air on the Xbox One and NSA Spying Concerns
RELATED:Sony PlayStation 4 Unboxing: Let's Get Weird (Video)
RELATED:Xbox One and PlayStation IV Will Wake To Download New Content
[Via Sony]
