US Senator troubled over Oculus Rift privacy concerns
Senator Al Franken 'respectfully requests' that Oculus address particulars surrounding how its Rift headset gathers, stores, and uses user info by May 13.
Concerns over privacy in VR headsets continues to snowball. Since the launch of the Oculus Rift earlier this month, the Internet has done its due diligence and proffered evidence that Oculus isn't sharing user information with Facebook or other companies yet, although Oculus admitted that it might in the future.
Yesterday, US Senator Al Franken wrote a letter to Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe requesting details on how Rift collects, stores, and shares user data.
"I believe Americans have a fundamental right to privacy, and that right includes an individual s access to information about what data are being collected about them, how the data are being treated, and with whom the data are being shared," Senator Franken wrote in his letter.
Senator Franken's letter doesn't seem designed to stir up anxiety around VR or other technology. On the contrary, he showed a good deal of genuine interest in the marketplace, and asked pointed to which Oculus should be compelled to provide answers. Senator Franken elaborated on his concerns in the form of six questions spanning topics such as whether it's necessary for Oculus to gather certain data, how long Oculus will retain user data, who is responsible for keeping users informed of how their data is, or may be, used, and what precautions Oculus has in place to safeguard user info.
In an effort to garner answers quickly, Senator Franken gave Iribe until May 13 to respond to his questions.
I'm usually leery of Uncle Sam sticking his nose into games and technology. Just ask Apple CEO Tim Cook for his opinions on how that can go sideways. However, Senator Franken asked intelligent questions in his letter, and anybody remotely interested in VR should want clear, cogent responses to them.
Technology has long since progressed past a point where users are giving companies information tacitly. The more we know about how companies like Oculus and HTC are using—and more importantly, plan to use—our information when we strap on their headset for an activity as innocuous as playing a game, the more informed we can be as consumers, and the more open and honest developers and manufacturers will have to be in turn.
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replyDavid Craddock posted a new article, US Senator troubled over Oculus Rift privacy concerns
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I'm not really sure how VR is significantly different from other media devices and their software in this respect
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like I said, it's no different from your phone, PC, console, etc
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Indeed but I wouldn't mind other corporations getting asked the same questions.
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it's more like 'surely you already have a policy for this and Oculus just abides by it per usual'
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facebook knows when we're moving our body to vr porn
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Silly, but not surprising. VR's the hot new thing.
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Al Franken is usually pretty sound. This seems like a reasonable inquiry into a new technology that he may not be well versed in. He seems pretty well measured in this request.
When
done appropriately, the collection, storage, and sharing of personal information may enhance
consumers' virtual reality experience, but we must ensure that Americans very sensitive
information is protected.-
Yeah, compare Franken to your run-of-the-mill Jack Thompson types who are more interested in making names for themselves by drumming up fear of video games.
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As someone with a pre order I appreciate his questions.
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While I agree with your sentiment, Oculus does need to address privacy concerns stemming from its device.
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and your phone is already tracking your movement and location
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phones are tracking where you parked, what routines you have (hence a notification like 'traffic on the way home looks bad' around when you usually leave work), what stores you visit, etc, etc. Tons of data. Some for features useful to consumers, some for features useful to the platform owner, and some for features useful to others (like advertisers).
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It's not, exactly, but I'll give you two answers to your questions.
1) Because Oculus has said outright that they don't share info now, but they might in the future. Users deserve to be kept apprised of changes that could lead to their data being shared, and they deserve for the process to be transparent.
2) More than any other reason, because VR headsets are the hot new thing. They're bound to attract all sorts of attention, good and bad.
If you read my story and/or the letter, you'll notice that Senator Franken doesn't seem to be trying to instigate scare mongering. He asked great questions that Oculus should be accountable for answering. By being accountable, they'll set a precedent that other companies all across the tech space should also be expected to answer.
Just because lots of companies share our data (most without asking or making it easy to find out how are data is being gathered and shared) doesn't mean it's right.
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Craddock, can you change your grey box description to read 'Occulus has been respecfully requested to respond by May 13th.'
Seems like a reasonable change and is more accurately representative of the pdf. Given the over reaction by some of the posters so far, it would also be more responsible of you.-
I updated it to include the 'respectfully requests' part of the quote, but I'll point out that the only people who "overreacted" in this thread, as of this post, are derelict, who's kind of a troll about this stuff, and to a lesser degree, jingletard, who was being facetious, and who admitted he didn't even read the story before commenting.
I wasn't trying to be click baity. The way I wrote the description originally was fine. Just this once, I'll capitulate. It won't become a habit.-
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I appreciate that you think enough of me to know my intentions, and that you felt comfortable enough to broach the subject.
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No, totally sincere! :)
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oh please
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