The latest round of documents exposed by Edward Snowden and The Guardian reveal that Britain’s surveillance agency, GCHQ, was interested in using the Xbox 360 Kinect camera to spy on people.
A surveillance program, codenamed Optic Nerve, ran from between 2008 and 2012 and was focused on collecting video images from Yahoo messenger. However the spies forgot the main use of the internet – cat pictures. No, wait, I meant filth. The image haul contained “substantial quantities of sexually explicit communications” as mucky pups broadcast live porn over their webcams.
“Unfortunately … it would appear that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person. Also, the fact that the Yahoo software allows more than one person to view a webcam stream without necessarily sending a reciprocal stream means that it appears sometimes to be used for broadcasting pornography.”
This caused problems for GCQH who “struggled to keep the large store of sexually explicit imagery collected by Optic Nerve away from the eyes of its staff.” The problem were further compounded as the agency was using automated facial recognition software, somewhat useless when only the broadcaster’s nether regions on display.
The documents show that “one presentation discusses with interest the potential and capabilities of the Xbox 360’s Kinect camera, saying it generated “fairly normal webcam traffic” and was being evaluated as part of a wider program.”
Yes, you read that right, Xbox owners are less filthy than the rest of the internet.
“Microsoft has never heard of this program,” a spokesperson told Eurogamer. “However, we’re concerned about any reports of governments surreptitiously collecting private customer data. That’s why in December we initiated a broad effort to expand encryption across our services and are advocating for legal reforms.”
Joking aside it does seem that fears of Kinect (and indeed the PS Eye, although it is not mentioned) being used to spy in to homes is a very real possibility.
Source: The Guardian / Eurogamer
gazzagb
At what point would they have been able to access Kinnect? If they could potentially gain access, then I think we can assume Microsoft could just as easily, if not easier.
Also, bravo on the sub-heading!
Stefan L
When it’s being used to broadcast a video feed to the internet. There might be ways to turn on webcams, but that’s not what this was about. This was about intercepting video en route.
gazzagb
Oh right, so it’s more just intercepting the data rather than taking control of the device, gotcha.
Starman
Not suprising at all that they considered it, shows the security strength of live that they didn’t get in. Though their attention was probably more on watching all the webcam porn.
Andrewww
Fully agree, don’t see how this could surprise anyone. It generates data, it is connected, so it is a potential source for NSA, GCHQ, and the like.
But reading this on the news the other day really made me sympathise with the poor staff at those agencies, being brutally exposed to all this data. How could ever anyone think the victims in all this were people who dared to produce private data those poor guys and lasses had to deal with..?
Scythegpd
Did I miss something? Where did it say they actually tried to get access and failed?
Not surprised they considered it but it would be even more worrying if they had actually actively tried to gain access, however the only thing the article says is they “discussed the potential”, not that they actually tried and were unsuccessful?
Tuffcub
The Guardian: “While the documents do not detail efforts as widescale as those against Yahoo users, one presentation discusses with interest the potential and capabilities of the Xbox 360’s Kinect camera, saying it generated “fairly normal webcam traffic” and was being evaluated as part of a wider program.”
For Kinect to generate fairly normal webcam traffic, they must have accessed some Kinect cameras. You can’t “evaluate” something without any data.
Starman
I thought that was interesting too. Though I presume they viewed traffic by just using the kinect normally and decided it wasn’t going to garner anything useful.
TSBonyman
Lol, they hardly need to break in what with Microsoft being so accommodating in providing them with backdoor workarounds – which was another of Snowdens reveals btw.
Starman
Which they were legally obliged to btw.
quinkill
@starman
Slavery was legal back in the day, still doesn’t make it right…btw. Have a bit of perspective!
Starman
@quinkill strange comparison, and MS don’t make the laws so what could they do?
Starman
I like how giving MS a bit of credit gets me several people having a go at me. Guess security is still a sore point for Sony fans!
TSBonyman
It’s sad how you alway revert to a “you’re all fanboys” comment when you’re losing an argument.
Starman
There was no argument to lose, I just pointed out a few facts and as usual because it was positive for MS people had to have a go. Try again later mate.
boeboe
Dude, disagreement does not equal hate.
Starman
Indeed it doesn’t but the track record of certain posters shows that they do.
Scythegpd
Question is who actually attacked you?
I agree the slavery comment was a bit off base but apart from that where are the attacks?
I also note my questions were ignored … but I suppose I’m “attacking you” as it was questioning something you were stating as “fact”? So it would appear you make statements passed off as fact and then complain about “fanboys” attacking you if anyone asks a simple enough request for clarification. Ironically pretty much what a fanboy does …
Starman
@scythe to clarify I was saying that people were trying to disprove my statements that put MS in a positive way, basically because they dislike MS. Didn’t call anyone a fanboy, just a fan if it makes any difference. Some people just don’t like MS being praised.
colmshan1990
It sounds like they did get in (how else would they know it generated “fairly normal webcam traffic,” as they were quoted?).
It also sounds like they stopped tracking, presumably after realising how utterly stupid the idea of a terrorist using his game console to coordinate terrorism related activities.
They don’t have an unlimited budget, why bother tracking Xbox traffic?
And I don’t see how any of the other replies have been borne out of fanboyism. Everyone who replied to this has made some good points, and they only seem critical of the agencies gathering the data.
Starman
They could have got in simply by using an xbox and kinect the normal way ie. multiplayer game that use it or by sending random video chat invites to people. After realising they weren’t going to find anything related to their work it probably wasn’t worth the time & effort.
colmshan1990
Yeah, that’s not how the intelligence services work.
It’s not Microsoft’s fault though- the NSA, GCHQ et al. went too far- the NSA literally compromised the integrity of encryption standards just so they could get into everything. On top of that, they were able to put pressure on American companies to legally let them in via a back door.
It’s naive in the extreme to assume they didn’t get in, especially if they performed an evaluation (by an evaluation, you don’t go to the users who are most open, they’re looking for security threats and suspicious persons, the secretive type, not for the friendliest people on Xbox Live) on the service.
It’s not the most shocking breach and it wasn’t Microsoft’s fault. I don’t see why you’re being so defensive- it’s all on the intelligence services, not the company which, like many others, was abused by them.
Starman
Its just that I doubt they actually hacked into live. Firstly because I think it would have been mentioned explicitly by Snowden if they had and secondly because hackers have been trying for 10 years to hack live without managing it.
colmshan1990
He said himself he wasn’t mentioning everything.
And what he has talked about has been far bigger than any video game network (seriously, there a billion active accounts on Facebook, there are far bigger fish to fry. They even compromised Google!). Xbox Live is the biggest console network as far as I know, but how many active users are on it? I’d guess about 60 million, maybe a bit more but nowhere near the big sites they targeted.
In the grand scheme of these things, Xbox Live and the PSN combined might not add up to 10% of Facebook. To them, it’s small fry.
zb100
Roll full stop
boeboe
I guess now all this is leaked, the terrorists will no longer use these forms of communication and the NSA/GCHQ will stop spying on us. Excellent.
DividSmythe
I always have my Kinnect/PS camera behind the TV. So it looks like it there going to get to know the back of my TV quite well.
TSBonyman
I bet they’re enjoying the Playroom streams :)
bunimomike
Top strapline! :-)
Sadly, I’ve had to stop broadcasting Bunimomike’s Bollock Bonanza as the government spooks were approaching me when I’d go shopping at Tesco. Most awkward.
xdarkmagician
“…means that it appears sometimes to be used for broadcasting pornography.”
LMAO! That line is the best! I would be concerned if my anti- terrorist spy department is just figuring this out. I wonder how many millions this cost. Com’on, 12 year old kids figure this out 5 minutes after they turn off the Google “safe search”
See, it’s not just the NSA who spies on people. Sadly, we’re just at that day where technology makes “1984” a possibility or even sadder, a reality. People saw this day coming for decades, one can’be surprised it’s actually here. Theres only one way to stop all the spying, and thats to go off- grid, but even that won’t work because then it’ll look like you’ve got something to hide so they’ll just start spying on you with drones. Get used to it, but at least it sounds like if you’re a big enough sexual deviant maybe the government will get embarrassed and change the feed.
boeboe
Gotta disagree, I don’t think Snowden threw his career/life away so that people could ‘Get used to it’.
xdarkmagician
The irony is, because spying revolves around secrecy and denial nobody really knows what the actual state of any program is. Just because someone said they stopped doesn’t mean they actually stopped. The nature of spying renders whistle blowers, like snowden and protest worthless. It doesn’t matter what gets exposed, or changed because you never have unlimited access to all the data. It’s not like a nuclear reactor leak where outside parties are introduced and undisputed data can be collected. Its all trust. You trust them to stop, to change, but you’ll never be allowed to see any proof so your never really sure.
So my sincere advice is to “get use to it” (the D is a typo), because as technology advances further, spying gets easier. During the cold war, both sides would have killed millions of people for the spying technology we have today. The arms race may be over but the information race is still going strong. So if you are doing something illegal you better get paranoid, because everybody IS watching you – And if you think its rough now just wait until some Bio company isolates the neural pathways in the brain that show what someone is thinking. ;
RudeAwakening
The only way to stop any government agency from spying on people in their homes is if the people stand up against them, but sure when will that ever happen!
boeboe
You sound doubtful! Its not a huge stretch of the imagination, Ukraine for example people took control. Stay hopeful!
boeboe
Check this cheeky Infamous reveal from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOV0dsOCP2U