Xbox One's next-gen Kinect won't collect information for use in targeted ads

With the slew of improvements Microsoft is making to the new Kinect, some potential buyers have grown concerned about the device's capabilities, particularly when it comes to how their personal information would be used. Of particular interest was whether or not the Kinect would be able to collect data for use in targeted advertizing. Thankfully, Albert Penello, Microsoft's Director of Product Planning, explained in a NeoGAF post yesterday that those fears are unfounded. "Nobody is working on that," Penello wrote, "We have a lot more interesting and pressing things to dedicate time towards." Additionally, he emphasized that certain types of sensitive information, like facial recognition scans, do not leave the console and therefore cannot be accessed from cloud-based services. Whether or not the response is enough to mollify concerned users remains to be seen, but the situation is likely not the last time Microsoft will find itself in a defensive position over the handling of user data.