https://techbriefly.com/2020/10/15/playstation-5-will-record-voice-conversations/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2020/10/15/sony-says-your-ps4-is-not-spying-on-you-with-the-new-800-update/

https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/14/21516928/sony-ps5-playstation-5-owners-record-listen-voice-chats-moderation-4-8-0-software-update

https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/ps4-players-furious-after-8-00-update-records-private-party-chats-1432578/

Apparently the latest update for the PS4 has been causing quite a lot of concern. After the PS4 8.00 update, it seems that chat conversations will be able to be recorded and sent to Sony for "moderation", causing immediate concerns about privacy and possible misuses of this policy.

I'm honestly surprised this isn't causing more of a stir out there. I remember everyone charged against the original XBOne about the kinect being always on and recording, yet this seems ok? I'm not even sure if this is even legal, I don't know if Sony can unilaterally decide to record an user's voice. People who don't agree with this can't even do a thing about it, and in an age when online privacy is becoming more and more difficult this is a really worrying move. Unless they give users the right to reject this feature, this will have a ton of potential for abuse.

Xbox does this too afaik right?
So seems like Sony are following in that footstep, in attempts to make a "safe enviroment" were people dont cyber bully each other.

Yes its a issue imo.

Isnt there a difference between Kinect always recording users living rooms, vs a user having the option to send an audio convo to sony for moderation?

For example does the PS5 send it sony even without any complaint or is it like video recording in game where the PS5 saves and deletes the last x amount of minutes/hours? 

Seems like a faux comparison unless Im mistaken

Remember kids, they will use it only for the good and will record only when necessary. It will never be used against yours or the community's harm.

Microsoft should come following and say: "we wont be recording anymore, come to Xbox where you can freely curse your pvp friend that keeps teabagging you"

In both cases you have no control whether you get recorded or not. The kinect had an "always on" approach when first unveiled, while with this, Sony gives the users the ability to record other players and send their recordings, whethey the recorded party agrees or not. You will get recorded anyway, and can't do a thing about it, since this is a one sided imposition.

Sony have done this through the PS4 generation already as do Xbox the only difference is now they are telling you it can be used for moderation.

That sure have potential for abuse, yet ours phone have been hearing us for a long time already.

I think you're misunderstanding OP.

This isn't Sony phoning in, rather people recording their content can send stuff to Sony for submission. for toxic/abusive behaviour for moderation.

Being worried about this is a bit like being scared of your phone or laptop/PC because it has an open mic :P

This didn't answer the question, which remains an obvious key distinction.

"Voice chat recording for moderation is a feature that will be available on PS5 when it launches, and will enable users to record their voice chats on PS5 and submit them for moderation review."

"I'm not even sure if this is even legal, I don't know if Sony can unilaterally decide to record an user's voice."

This only applies in using the voice chat feature, by using it, you consent, so yeah its legal and also different in nature to kinect being always on.


If these recordings are offline/not sent to sonys servers by default then thats another level of being different from kinect.

Fundementally its completely fair to have a discussion here but using Kinect as a point of comparison is kind of mute, nothing to do with double standards. 

These big companies are always doing shit to cover their own asses and get more of our data. That's what this is, of course. I'd prefer that they not do it, but that's just not the way big companies work in 2020. The only way to stop them is to refuse to agree to the new TOS, which will mean not using PSN. It would take at least a few percent of people to take that route to get Sony to give a shit.  And, there's about zero chance of getting 3% of the userbase to even know about this issue, much less reject the new TOS.