So there has been much talk about Kinect and that it must be plugged into the X1 for it to function.  This has caused a stir in the force because MS has been reported to give out information to the Government.  People are concerned that someone from the NSA, another agency, or some random hacker will be able to see you through Kinect for nefarious purposes.

What I would like to talk about is how relevant is such a process.  I will also include the PS4 eye as well because even though a lot of people do not know this, Sony also are under the same rules as MS when releasing information to the government.  If the government comes a knocking, Sony has to release all info from PSN if requested.  That could also mean that if you have a PS4 camera setup, it would be under the same rules.  

I understand people can turn their PS4 off, but the PS4 has a standby mode just like the X1.  Both consoles can be turned off permanently if you so choose but then again you do not get the benefits of the low powered standby mode.  I also know people will say they can just unplug their PS4 eye from their PS4.  Will you unplug your PS4 eye from your PS4 every night or keep it unplug unless you decided to use one of its features.  Personally I do not see this happening. When gamers complain about getting up to change a disk, I highly doubt they will be fiddling with their PS4 plugging and unplugging the PSeye.

On other forums, people have mentioned about a hacker, hacking your X1, turning it on or intercepting audio and video from the camera.  I have to ask myself, what is the percentage of something like this happening.  Lets just take a moment to understand how this can occur.  First there will need to be a hacker that want to ease drop on you.  Next there will need to be a hacker that is willing to come to your neighborhood, intercept your wifi, hack the encryption (which is no small feat I can tell you) unless you have your wifi open which no sane person should be doing, access your X1 from the network, wake the X1 from standby, turn on the camera and intercept the video.

Maybe its just me but the chances of this happen is probably right up there with someone breaking into your house, and robbing you in broad daylight.

Someone stated that some NSA agent pervert could do something like this which I have to ask myself.  First the agent would need to get permission to Spy on you.  Usually a court order and probable cause.  Even then, MS would have to have a way to directly target YOU, be able to remotely turn on your X1 and camera and spy on you.  The chances of this happen is even worse than the other.

All of these scenarios goes for the PSeye as well.

So what exactly will people do, if they purchase a X1 or get the PSeye for the PS4.

I've always thought there was too much fuss about CCTV cameras here in the UK, people spout on about it being an invasion of privacy that they are "being watched" but are ignorant of what is IMO a far worse invasion with data collected from online activities.

The broken nature of CCTV coverage (not everywhere is covered and to get the 'full picture' of someones activities you would need to be in law enforcement and get warrants for various companies own CCTV footage) and that storage of video is more of an issue means that with CCTV the eponymous "they" might be able to figure out where you've been and what you were doing.

The kind of information it's possible to gather from metadata and a little research online though could probably glean where you go, where you live, what you buy, who you contact and what you think.

Why paranoia with kinect?
It is known that the NSA can listen to any phone conversation, have satellites/drones can spy anywhere, can see CCTV cameras, could monitor the internet traffic and if they can hack the XBO can hack your cellphone, tablet, GPS, etc..
I think the NSA has biggest problem that spying on gammers and if you have a court order you are in biggest problem XD.

I will simply unplug my PSEye when I don't use it.

I live in lebanon no NSA here!

Considering the number of crimes that happen, and then the police there turn around and appeal to public for information to me suggests that they know less of what's going on than people think they do.

In Scotland, there was a uni student that went missing.  Based on CCTV footage, they could identify just about everywhere he had been, but they had no clue where he was.  Sadly, he managed to walk or fall into a river and succumed to the freezing water, but the CCTV footage was useless.

I always thought that if the government is going to monitor something then the device that gives them everything about a person is your Cell phone. Your smartphone is like some peoples wallet. It has all the things anyone needs to know about you in one nice place. It has a GPS to show where you at, where you been and can track your movements for weeks. It has a calendar to show where you are going and will be doing. People call, and text on the device which all can be collected. You go to sites and social media which all can be collected. You have pictures, names of family members, friends and associates.

Thats just a small list. When people talk about Kinect or even the PSeye being spy cameras, it really seem silly compared to that smartphone that gives more info than any other device a person might own. That Smartphone goes everywhere you go and if the government is going to target a device to profile you on, that phone is perfect.