As expected, Facebook has added some questionable features to the Oculus Rift and if any of it surprises you then you haven't been paying attention. The Register went through it to pull out a variety of terms than many may find questionable. Your usage will be tracked while you are using the headset and just like Facebook and many other social media apps it will use the data collected for targeted advertising. There does not seem to be any incognito mode, so think twice before using the Rift for certain applications unless you want some interesting adverts showing up on your Facebook page.
A Slashdot post points out a different concern for content creators, if you use the Oculus to create something original then while Oculus can't claim to own it, it can use it without your consent and without having to pay you for for using it. Again, this should not be surprising but if you weren't aware of the possibility, you should consider these T&C's before picking the Rift.
"THOSE OF a weak disposition should look away. News has reached us that face fun virtual reality machine, and eye of Facebook, the Oculus Rift has features that track things that people do, and use the information for the purposes of advertising."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Winbond, C-Media enter Oculus supply chain, says report @ DigiTimes
- Boosty uses mobile signal to improve shonky broadband connections @ The Inquirer
- Top Firefox extensions can hide silent malware using easy pre-fab tool @ The Register
- Microsoft lures top Linux exec from Oracle to Redmond @ The Register
- Doogee S1 Smartwatch @ TechARP
- NikKTech & Scythe Keep It Cool EU Giveaway
Maybe they stopped this crap,
Maybe they stopped this crap, but continuing to get the “Meet Local Singles in Your Area” ads after changing my relationship status to Engaged and then to Married certainly contributed to my souring on and ultimately avoiding the Facebag.
No doubt, totally should have
No doubt, totally should have switched to Ashley Madison adverts.
Or “Meet Local Swingers”,
Or “Meet Local Swingers”, maybe then my wife wouldn’t feel left out.
What would the world be like
What would the world be like if all the monitor manufacturers got an automatic license for all the content created with their “devices”. That is just silly.
And this is why selling to
And this is why selling to Facebook was a scumbag move entirely deserving of the outrage it garnered.
If governments don’t outlaw extensive mining of personal data soon, the future is looking pretty grim.
hehe, if only the government
hehe, if only the government wasn’t the biggest miner of them all.
Governments love facebook –
Governments love facebook – it makes their data mining job so much easier. The only hope is for people to take a stand against such things themselves and refuse to use or buy them, but given the popularity of facebook, smartphones, and google, it’s clear that most of the public does not care about their privacy.
Are you kidding? Between
Are you kidding? Between Windows 10 and its terms that make you AGREE TO BE SPIED ON and Facebook, the illegal government spying that became so unpopular after 2013 is all nice and legal.
Who do you think the “unnamed third parties” that Windows 10s terms mention?
You know, the ones that your automatically analyzed PERSONAL CONTENT will be forwarded to if you say something Microsoft has “good faith belief” that they need to?
The governments can now sit in the background using all this LEGALLY HARVESTED(because you agreed) data.
They’re not gonna outlaw shit. If anything, they pushed Microshit to make Windows 10 the spyware that it is. Facebook has always been spyware.
I get not having an incognito
I get not having an incognito mode, but what about a clear browsing history function?
Because you are all stupid
Because you are all stupid animals to THEM.
They find out what you like and then advertise accordingly… and a big enough percentage of you make it worth their time.
The problem isnt “facebook” or whatever… the problem is the consumer cunthole culture.
The Universe is 100% balanced… and you get PRECISELY what you deserve (regardless if you understand why)
Harsh like hell, but I agree.
Harsh like hell, but I agree.
I couldnt have said that
I couldnt have said that better myself.
>>…if you use the Oculus to
>>…if you use the Oculus to create something original then while Oculus can’t claim to own it, it can use it without your consent and without having to pay you for for using it.<< That is also part of Facebook's scary TOS.
I would never upload any
I would never upload any image to Facebook.
I deleted mine instead of
I deleted mine instead of hearing about them being used in advertisements by my friends.
>>I deleted
>>I deleted mine…<< Exactly... as in your copies. Facebook still have and OWN copies of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIGdWsxHJlM
But as bad as fB is, Windows is going to prove much worse (as well as Internet of Things).
Jeremey, you come off like
Jeremey, you come off like Mel Gibson in Conspiracy Theory, and it’s FUCKING PATHETIC.
Grow the fuck up already. PCPer used to be the place to go for ACTUAL Journalism. You bring the level of professionalism down so far.
You write from a paranoid peasants perspective and it’s getting to the point that all of my friends and family in the industry make fun of you. Guys at Intel, Nvidia, MSI, etc and always spend a few moments laughing about how sad you are. You’re a joke.
Obviously you have spy
Obviously you have spy cameras set up at all their watercoolers, right?
His Facebook Friends
His Facebook Friends Watercooler.
Hey guys! I found the
Hey guys! I found the Facebook shill!
Might have some credibility
Might have some credibility if you didnt post ad hominem anonymously.
But you come off as a fucking cunt hipster facebook using moron.
Seeing right through you,
Seeing right through you, socio. Those ‘industry friends’ are all imaginary, arent they?
You’d be shocked to know that many a tech magnate – Jobs, Bezos, et al – have voiced stronger opinions on this side of the argument than not. Bezos, for example, have stated that he agreed with the conclusions (but not actions) of the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski, re technology and man’s undoing.
Im sure there’s no reasoning with ‘internet education’ though, so carry on.
Damn, you got rekt.
Damn, you got rekt.
What if someone is using a
What if someone is using a game design application?
Come on now
Oculus Home
Come on now
Oculus Home network traffic detailed analysis
https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/4da3r5/oculus_home_network_traffic_detailed_analysis/
Good info, nothing to do with
Good info, nothing to do with the Terms and Conditions but very nice to see SSL being used.
https://www.oculus.com/en-us/legal/privacy-policy/ also see https://www.oculus.com/en-us/legal/related-companies/
Fair enough. Here’s a follow
Fair enough. Here’s a follow up the fellow did about what’s being collected, at least for now.
https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/4ddj1g/what_oculus_network_traffic_contains/
This stuff is getting super
This stuff is getting super ridiculous. There has been stories about TVs essentially spying on you. One brand was using a content recognition system to try to determine what you are watching, regardless of source. They were then linking that information with your IP address and selling it. This allows for targeted ads based on viewing history even when you are on different devices. I believe there was also a story about a TOS for a TV saying that anything you say in front of it may not be private due to It listening for voice commands.
I ran into similar privacy issues on my phone. I had signed into YouTube and it tried to force me to sign into google maps with my YouTube ID. With the map application, they can collect a ridiculous amount of data. They know your physical location. They know what you searched for and where you ended up going. If they see that you searched for a restaurant, looked at several choices, and then ended up going to one of them, that is valuable data. That is in addition to google having your search data. I assume that they have a profile for your device based on unique device IDs, so any Google service you use will be linked together. The only thing that I can say about it is that forcing you to log in at least makes it more clear to people that they are being tracked. I actually tried deleting all google apps and re-downloading, and it automatically logged me back into YouTube when I started it. I am not sure what unique device ID they are using. There seemed to be no way to actually log out completely until I got a new phone.
The stuff about being able to use content seems completely ridiculous. These headsets are a different type of display. How are they going to collect content from a display and use it? I don’t think that should be legal at all. It is similar with the TV collecting content for content recognition systems. That is a massive violation of privacy since they were linking it with individual’s IP address. The information of exactly what you watch could be in someone’s hands. What if I mirror my phone with a camera on and the TV uploads it to a content recognition system? That amounts to video surveillance in my house.
It is almost impossible to buy a “dumb” tv anymore. I don’t connect my TV to the network, but at this point, you almost can’t stop it. If there is an open wifi anywhere around, it could still phone home to the manufacturer to report you viewing habits. The Rift is basically a computer display. Some people may be okay with their TV reporting on them (they shouldn’t be), but are you okay with your computer display reporting on you? I don’t see how Facebook can use content without collecting it in some manner. Will it be uploading screen shots to Facebook for their use?
Windows 10 does the same
Windows 10 does the same thing and reports you too. The 1984 Telescreen is real and idiots BUY them.
lol, voice packets too! But
lol, voice packets too! But its not just limited to Cortana or Samsung TVs. At least one mobile phone has an ‘always on’ mic that they market as a featue.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31296188
http://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/some-samsung-lg-and-vizio-tvs-now-spy-on-you
http://www.ibtimes.com/lg-admits-smart-tv-spying-will-release-update-allowing-customers-opt-out-data-1484670
Computing and gaming are
Computing and gaming are becoming the new BOOB TUBE, enjoy your new ad driven experience! It’s all about your Eyeballs and ads, ads out the A$$ personalized to annoy! You are the product for the M$s, Googles, and the FaceBooks! Next, they will find a way to keep you from blinking while wearing those goggles so you will see more ads plastered all over your VR games, look ads on those zombie’s foreheads for rectal cream! The Horror, The Horror!
If your on windows put this
If your on windows put this in your host file.
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm
It is sad that on the surface
It is sad that on the surface , peoples fears of Oculus having to answer to facebook’s whims would mean they are sending data to facebook for marketing against their users seem to have become the truth.
VR on PC needs to be the premiere and preferred VR experience for it not to become a consumer fad , but when using a Oculus is becoming perceived as a compromise it means in peoples eyes that there is one more reason to ignore getting to VR and with VR already being a potentially expensive proposition, thee doesn’t need to be another hindrance.
I was hoping that with the Vive and the Oculus being launched and the PSVR not hitting the market until October, that VR on PC would have a chance to better establish itself as the best option for VR but if Oculus is already being criticized heavily and the Vive costing more, the PSVR might become the dominant option and Sony is potentially going to ship a much more closed option that is going to hold VR back and do nothing for PC users wanting VR.