When you are not paying full price for some tech toy, you are the product, not the toy. Windows 10 is a perfect example of this.
A new tech toy - Virtual Reality helmet Oculus Rift is another perfect example - from the UK Independent:
Oculus Rift terms and conditions allow Facebook to monitor users’ movements and use it for advertising
Oculus Rift appears to collect information on the people wearing it and send all of that back to other companies, according to its terms and conditions.
Oculus, the virtual reality firm which was bought out by Facebook in 2014, is sending the first versions of its consumer headset out to users. But some are already pointing out terrifying parts of the terms of service that people sign up to use it.
When the headset’s software is installed on a computer, it adds a process that allows the PC to watch what the headset is doing and send that back to Oculus. That allows the headset to know when it is being used and turn itself on — but it also allows the company to collect information on people’s head movements and activity and send it back to advertisers.
The terms and conditions include a line saying that the headset will collect “Information about your physical movements and dimensions when you use a virtual reality headset”, along with a range of more usual information like data about users’ computers and location.
Get the hell out of my private space - this selling of user information presents a huge security risk as the new apps are rushed to market and hackers try to break them. I would love to own an Occulus Rift headset but it will be on my own terms on a computer disconnected from the internet. Here is the Terms and Conditions for the device.
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