BIG BROTHER ALERT Microsoft to monitor your living room
*PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION* FAIR USE One of Microsoft #39;s latest patent applications is a humdinger. It proposes to turn the Kinect camera into a snitch for movie studios, reporting back just how many friends you #39;ve got in your living room and what they #39;re watching. Think that sounds alarmist? Here #39;s what it actually says: \"The users consuming the content on a display device are monitored so that if the number of user-views licensed is exceeded, remedial action may be taken.\" It #39;s that blatant -- a system to spy on private viewing habits. There was an even more striking example from Apple earlier this year. In September, it was granted a patent for \"Apparatus and methods for enforcement of policies upon a wireless device\", ie a system allowing companies or governments to remotely disable mobile phones and tablets in a particular area. While Apple mentions benign examples such as preventing phone calls from disturbing concerts or ensuring devices are switched off on planes, it also states: \"Covert police or government operations may require complete \"blackout\" conditions.\" That #39;s exactly the kind of feature certain governments would love to use to suppress pictures and videos. The patent Apple put its stamp on is a handy form of censorship regardless of whether it will ever apply it. Last year, Google #39;s chairman, Eric Schmidt, said that the company would hold off from creating a facial recognition service because it would be \"crossing the creepy line\". Still, Google has filed ...From:CreativeMessageViews:4 0ratingsTime:04:22More inEducation<\/p>\n
Excerpt from: BIG BROTHER ALERT Microsoft to monitor your living room *PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION* FAIR USE One of Microsoft's latest patent applications is a humdinger. It proposes to turn the Kinect camera into a snitch for movie studios, reporting back just how many friends you've got in your living room and what they're watching. Think that sounds alarmist? Continue reading
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