Microsoft recently updated its Xbox privacy statement and one of the document’s noteworthy items discusses how Kinect handles user data. The company mentions that it along with others may monitor in-game voice chat and that communications through live gameplay sessions can be broadcasted or recorded.

For those of you seeking clarity on what they’re saying, this is in reference to players recording game sessions with the system’s built-in Game DVR or posting them to media outlets like Twitch and YouTube. As for Microsoft monitoring voice chat during game sessions, this is nothing new. The service has moderators who occasionally observe gameplay sessions to address issues like cheating and abusive behaviors.

Microsoft explicitly states that “Xbox does not listen in on Skype calls.” and with user consent, Kinect-based voice commands like “Xbox play” can be collected for product improvement. This option is also available to voice search materials, so you’ll have the option to share what you Bing. Users looking to remain anonymous can block this feature and delete data stored on their console.

For those who use Kinect as an authenticated user, data is stored locally on the connected Xbox console and can be purged via the system’s settings. In the case of a guest user, Xbox creates a temporary “unique identifier” that allows you to participate in a gaming session. Once a guest is done playing that data is deleted from the system.

For those of you looking to remove Kinect from your experience altogether, the sensor can be disabled by saying “Kinect off” or by turning it off through the system’s settings. Kinect can cannot be turned back on via voice command and instead requires users to go back to their console’s settings. If all of this is sounds too complicated, you can simply unplug the sensor from the console and call it a day.

For a further look at how Kinect will handle your data, including your heart rate when playing Xbox Fitness, swing by the source link below.

[Microsoft]