Is your video provider watching you, using its equipment?

[adam1991]

http://www.tmtperspectives.com/2013/06/ ... ching-you/

Want to talk about scary:

Do you have digital video recorders (DVRs) in your home? Maybe one in the living room and one in the bedroom? Do you think your DVRs should be able to observe you and report back to your cable or Internet provider?

As it turns out, national telecom companies are developing technology employing infrared cameras and microphones that would enable your DVR to observe and listen to you and to record its observations. As a start, the information would be used to deliver targeted ads to you. A patent application that Verizon filed in May 2011 uses as an example that it could deliver counseling ads to couples who are observed fighting. Congressman Capuano, in a press release, suggests that the collected information could be shared not just with advertisers, but with our government.

Currently, the law would not prohibit these “observations” even without your consent.

Therefore, in a rare bout of bipartisanship, two US Representatives, Mike Capuano (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC), have proposed the “We Are Watching You Act of 2013″ (H.R. 2356) that would require any video provider using such technology to stream an online message saying “We are watching you” if it collects images or sounds. The draft legislation would also require that consumers be able to opt-out from such collection.

We kid you not. Here is the draft legislation and Representative Capuano’s press release.

This writer is an impeccable source.

[foxwood]

You do understand that the purpose of a patent is not to say "this is something we are going to do". The purpose of a patent is to say "if anyone else decides to do this, they'll have to pay us for a license first!"

[staknhalo]

And I can't say that it's the case with this, but a lot of big name companies have been known to patent really bad/intrusive ideas just to block any other company from trying implementing them. They won't even licence those patents out.

[adam1991]

but the "always on camera/mic" on XBox One is there. It's not just a patent dream.

And let me tell you, I know the author of that piece very well. This is not some "the sky is falling" piece.

[Venom51]

I hope they enjoy the sounds of fan noise and staring at the back of a LCD monitor. If DirectTV does it that's all they would see at my house.