If the last thing standing between you and a brand new Xbox One this fall was a fear that you’d be watched by the government, you’re in luck. Last week, Microsoft pulled yet another one-eighty for its upcoming console, announcing that the Xbox One no longer requires the Kinect camera plugged in for the system to work. Many people didn’t want Kinect watching them at all times, and apparently Microsoft took enough heat to reverse course. This is the latest in a long line of reversals by Microsoft regarding the Xbox One, as it also changed course about used game policies and mandatory online check-ins over the past few weeks. In the wake of PRISM, people have become more sensitive than ever to guarding their privacy, and an always-on Kinect was too much for some people to bear. But just about every laptop and smartphone we use has a camera staring right back at us… so are our lives really any more private with this latest reversal by Microsoft?
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.