WASHINGTON D.C., June 19 - The Xbox One could be in violation of a proposed government privacy bill, according to a statement on United States House of Representatives official website.
The bill comes from Congressman Michael Capuano (D-MA) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC). Titled the We Are Watching You Act, the bill would require companies to explicitly ask the consumers' permission to store information about them. In the Xbox One's case, the next-gen Kinect would be the invasive culprit and would be required to display an on-screen warning reading "We are watching you" every time the device would begin recording.
Microsoft would also have to inform the user how the data is collected and who would see it. If the consumer opts to block the Kinect's breach of privacy, then Microsoft would have to develop another way to offer an identical service, albeit without the ability to record.
"This may sound preposterous but it is neither a joke nor an exaggeration," Capuano wrote. "These DVRs would essentially observe consumers as they watch television as a way to super-target ads. It is an incredible invasion of privacy. Given what we have recently learned about the access that the government has to the phone numbers we call, the emails we send and the websites we visit, it is important for consumers to decide for themselves whether they want this technology. Think about what you do in the privacy of your own home and then think about how you would feel sharing that information with your cable company, their advertisers and your government."
"Allowing this type of technology to be installed in the homes of individuals without their consent would be an egregious invasion of privacy," added Jones. "When the government has an unfortunate history of secretly collecting private citizens' information from technology providers, we must ensure that safeguards are in place to protect Americans' rights."
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