Government Agencies Have Been Spying on Xbox Live

103
Richard Walker

Government spy agencies such as the NSA in the US and UK sister agency GCHQ have been infiltrating online gaming communities, including Xbox Live, deploying real-life undercover agents into online game worlds, according to secret documents disclosed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Said documents reveal that the agencies have been utilising mass-collection capabilities against Xbox Live. A 2008 NSA document, titled 'Exploiting Terrorist Use of Games & Virtual Environments', notes that online gaming communities are a "target-rich communications network" where intelligence targets could "hide in plain sight".

"Al-Qaida terrorist target selectors and … have been found associated with Xbox Live, Second Life, World of Warcraft, and other GVEs [Games and Virtual Environments]," the document states. "Other targets include Chinese hackers, an Iranian nuclear scientist, Hizballah, and Hamas members."

Voice headsets and video cameras like Kinect could have been tapped into, though there's no indication that government spying on Xbox Live or any other online network has ever foiled a terrorism plot. Microsoft has declined to comment.

[Via The Guardian]

 

Comments
103
  • Makes sense to me. Using cell-phones the Government can use a program to detect key terms like, "bomb" or "murder". On Xbox, I assume, it would be difficult to do that because people are always talking about doing that in game. Such as CoD, "I've planted the bomb". They probably *HAVE* to have people actually playing the games to find out whether they are talking about bombing people in-game or in real life. Regardless, this is beyond pointless because the terrorist could easily hide in party chat. Either way, this is completely unnecessary, I value my privacy over the small chance a terrorist plot could be foiled.
  • Am I the only one not surprised?
  • The naked man says watch away ... watch away.
  • Here comes Big Brother!
  • I don't use Kinect and Kinect sleep in Xbox One box forever until next Xbox in future and trade in Xbox One with Kinect and move on to next Xbox. Lol So no spying on me hahahahaha :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Government will not peek on me. Lmfao :P
  • Can I get a job ''spying'' whilst playing online?
  • So, Al-Qaida is actually a group of eight year olds playing Call of Duty and threatening the mass rape of mothers all over the world? It all makes sense now!
  • Hahaha sometime I naked on softa and play games or even wear pants when I fancy to so good thing Government will not see me. Lol Soooooooo funny. :)))))))))))))))))))
  • Oh my god there monitoring us right now. Act normal.
  • One thing I never understood was the uproar regarding Kinect when I was first released. Everyone shat themselves, complaining to Microsoft that it was "invading our privacy" or "forcing its way into our homes", but people don't care about having a camera integrated into their PC or the fact that phones or tablets have front facing cameras - those devices are CONSTANTLY connected to either the internet or a telephone signal. Truth is government agency's will spy on people. I don't care if someone sees me having a poo whilst I'm browsing Facebook, no amount of bitching is going to stop that.
  • Any news on whether they do the same on PSN? I'm not surprised by this at all. I'm sure there are hundreds of places where government agents are 'listening'. Hint, Hint This guy below me.... V V
  • Welcome to the new age ladies and gentlemen, all we can do is remember when gaming used to be fun online and wasn't bombarded by officials trying to catch terrorists playing cod, is nothing safe in this world now. I'm guessing Microsoft are in on this because the last terms of service we agreed to was that we had to keep our Microsoft account information 100% accurate so it wont surprise me if this is them working together. Bring back the days of nes and sega.
  • No shit. Can't say I care, really. I'm not doing anything wrong, so if you wanna waste your time watching/listening to me gaming, knock yourself out.
  • @13 simple solution- if you don't like go back to playing your nes and sega, no-ones stopping you. who cares really?
  • The password is BACON!
  • @6 they dont need to peak on you. You say enough on these news threads , they can just read it. OT: if you arnt doing anything wrong i dont see the issue. Id rather save lives and have someone in a suit read my emails.
  • @13 It says this document is from 2008 so its nearly 6 years old. So not really anything new. I imagine this has been going on ever since online gaming started.
  • #6 If you ain't using Kinect your Xbox one experience must be pretty lame. It's the one thing in your box that makes an Xbox worth getting over a PS4 ... and the exclusives of course.
  • FIRST: Why is everyone associating terrorists with Call of Duty. Isn't it always the quiet shy ones that go crazy. People who play My Pony or Hannah Montana are the ones we need to keep an eye on.
  • @6 they isn't about xbox one or Kinect did you even read it, it is the nsa jumping into online games as they are stating people are using it to communicate as its safer then using Skype or even cell phones as the lines can be tapped xbox live due to people talking about murder and bombs and trash talking make it extremely hard to determine if it is game talk or something more.
  • It's a little depressing to think that the guy who spams all those cheap crappy moves and abuses cheap tactics in online gameplay, while making unfunny insults about your "momma"... that guy might actually be a government agent. Might actually be responsible for a nation's security. We're ******* doomed.
  • Every time I hear that I'm being looked in on by the government (xbox, my cell phone, whatever) I think of this song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOfIDtvfmqg
  • #19 Don't like Kinect. No thanks. I am fine without Kinect. I am enjoy games. If I want fitness then go out somewhere I want to. Most of games is bored on Kinect and no interested to me. But it is got some good thinga about Kinect but not my taste. I am happy with Xbox One with Kinect, Wii U without Wii remote and PS4 without PS Move. Hate motion gaming. I am so happy with normal controllers, touchscreen controller and touch button controller. I owned all systems already. Loved all of them. :) Everyone have different taste for gaming and it is cool. Respect to every gamers anyway. That is good. :)
  • I don't think they will be using the party chat on xbox one to plot anything...
  • "I am happy with Xbox One without Kinect, Wii U without Wii remote and PS4 without PS Move. Hate motion gaming. I am so happy with normal controllers, touchscreen controller and touch button controller. I owned all systems already. Loved all of them." Mistake damned hahhaha I mean without Kinect. Oh dear lmfao. :) Typed too fast. Lol
  • I'm sure anything is possible, but isn't it more likely that terrorists would just use text messages and private chat - both of which you can do with a free account. I mean getting a copy of the same game and lurking around in multiplayer matches would take time away from their IED making...
  • Forget to send that in whoops xD
  • To be honest. I owned Wii since launched in 2006 but I don't like Wii remote but enjoy many of great Wii games on system until 2012 and finally Wii U out with HD system and touchscreen controller and pro controller which is I am so happy with and trade in Wii. I just can't stand with Wii remote but sometime good to using it and I accept with it and played many great Wii titles because not want miss out that Wii got many great titles. But motion controllers not for me. I had tried 2 games for Kinect but again I just can't stand this. For PS Move, I never owned it but played and tried at my friend house in past few years and still don't like it.
  • The type of people that play Second Life probably should be monitored.
  • Of all the thousands of ways they could track terrorists, and with more efficiency... they actually use the "oh they play games let's track the whole gaming community" venue? No shit. Even the most psychotic serial killers can enjoy a good round of Battlefield now and then. What a waste of taxpayer money (not that any government institution cares about wasting it. Not theirs = no one cares)
  • You cannot be arrested for wanting to take over the world. I'm safe.
  • I remember reading about terrorist using xbox live to communicate. Honestly if it can prevent any act of terror in any part of the world, then I am ok with it.
  • Presumably these agents are the ones with 0 kills and 20 deaths in Battlefield?
  • whats this mean for playing while high? or doing it while playing :S
  • Hahahahahaaaaaaaaahahahahahahashhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha. Okay, epic laughter over. Get a fucking life, US government.
  • @34 - Nah, that's me. I wonder if it was that guy in my party last week who was all "Hello, citizen on the other end of this gaming communication device, may I be a Dick in you Dead Rising 3? I'm totally not a spy, here to determine whether you are using this gaming experience as a way to over through your country." Didn't seem weird at the time.
  • Let the spy. I have nothing to hide.
  • tell us something we didnt know. In any case there not learning much. Just alot of kids screaming down the headsets and a bunch of adults telling them to shut up.
  • George Orwell called this years ago. Nineteen Eighty Four.
  • Jesus, looks like no more whacking it while I wait to join a match.
  • Well, at least I can say that I've probably killed my share of highly trained government agents while they listened to me screaming profanities all over the place.
  • I've had sex in front of Kinect a few times. Wonder if I can sue the government for standard PPV porn rates.
  • On the bright side they aren't very good, so they never get further than the newbie zone.
  • Now you know!
  • It's right in your face, and you still bring jokes. Reap it Murphy. :/
  • How can I apply for this job that plays massive amounts of games in search of Terrorist? Hey Joe, want to go to lunch? Not right now, after this match!
  • I knew I was playing CoD with Bin Laden 3 years ago!!!!!!!
  • @6 I think you're pretty safe. The government can see your atrocious spelling and realize you're not worth their time. hahahahaha soooooo funny :))))))))))))))))))
  • If hate to be the guy who monitors forum trolling looking for coded messages.
  • I thought spying on kids was illegal.
  • I need to learn arabic so I can talk about terroristy stuff on xbox live in parties just to see if some national security twat shows up at my door.
  • @49 Lay off it dude, Burstgamer is deaf and with having a deaf friend myself they type/write in that way. It's like when I was learning BSL (British Sign Language) I was trying to sign something with our sentence structure to my friend but for sign language/deaf people their sentence/language structure is different so he corrected me and still understood me with me signing incorrectly. As long as everyone can understand each other, it doesn't matter - read up on it before you jump to mean conclusions.
  • I don't really mind if a security agency is listening to me swear on Xbox Live or me apologising to my team for dying (again and again). I know this only applies so far, but this doesn't cross my line yet. I'm not angry. If they were recording me through Kinect, I'd be a lot more angry.
  • While the Constitution doesnt grant us a privacy right it does protect us with the 4th Amendment. The 4th Amendment states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." The Supreme Court has ruled that the government needs a search warrant to listen to our phone calls so why wouldnt that include electronic communications as well? Microsoft has stated that its policies try to protect us by not giving out all of our information so why are they taking it without our permission or a warrant? What is happening to our constitutional rights? #40 has it correct!
  • @55 They're only monitoring things like game chat, which is in itself a public forum so anything you say over it has no rights of privacy. Now if they hacked into your party chats or messages that'd be a different story. OT: This doesn't surprise me at all, just like how for many years the police have officers that search internet forums and such for sex offenders.
  • I'm pretty sure terrorists would be in a private chat.
  • @54: Don't you understand how acclimation works?
  • This is actually quite simple really. If you are going to just sit here and complain the whole time about government spying and whatnot, you simply should NOT be connected to the internet for any reason. You should NOT own a cell phone. Realistically you should NOT even be gaming except on old school systems before they were affiliated with online services. By being online and playing online you have really surrendered your right to complain. "WAH! They are looking at me! ...But I'm going to sit here and let them anyway! I will just blast them on forums! That will show them!" gg.
  • Haha, all they would have learnt is, give most teenagers an open mic and an audience and they become total dickheads.
  • The thing is, just because they're "spying" doesn't mean they're learning anything. And when it comes to video games, it's really only "spying" on paper, as the "agents" are just playing video games and half-assedly reporting back nothing of any value whatsoever, other than that there are apparently slackers in other agencies of the world. Spying on my internet usage: a significant problem. "Spying" on dumbasses playing COD: nothing but a waste of government funds.
  • @55 I fully agree with you on everything stated however when has that stopped the government at all Americans are nothing more then herded sheep being led into the wolves den government is too scared of their own people that they'll do whatever is Necessary
  • This is getting out of hand... Ok Obama, you got me, I admit it. I am indeed a terrorist. Maybe governments should be more concerned about how messed up the nations economies are.
  • WHY !!!!????????
  • People are willing to use anything and everything to monitor people. We are hardly into the next gen. Just look how much monitoring there has been already; rumoured or otherwise. it's an invasion of privacy no matter what the extent. Don't believe everything you are told.
  • Tbag the Americans = ok they seem okay it's call of duty Tbag the infidels = ok send in swat
  • I can recommend watching "Living in a surveillance state: Mikko Hypponen at TEDxBrussels". Like he says, George Orwell was an optimist when he wrote 1984, because we're living in a world where one particular government knows more about you than anyone should. And he explains why people shouldn't say "Oh but I have nothing to hide" and so on. There is something called "Privacy". Well anyway watch it. http://youtu.be/lHj7jgQpnBM
  • The pancake has been flipped, repeat again the pancake has been flipped
  • @11 Couldn't agree more.
  • @56 I dont think anyone really knows what they are and arent monitoring. @59 I understand that we live in a technological age and every thing can be monitored very easily. And most user agreements we "Have Read and Understand" sell our data to other companies. But that doesnt mean we cant us the internet or other technology. Of course the government will take our data but should we expect them to be into our personal life? They may be able to do certain things based on "national security" but they are stepping over the line. Right now they are taking total control because for the most part they are uncontested. There isnt much you can do, but speaking out is better than grabbing the ankles. @62 That is true for the most part but the law is on our side. The more people who are willing to give up and let the goverment do what it wants is a win for the ruling class. People who say "let them do whatever, I have nothing to hide" have already given up. The more people who fight back and challenge them, the harder it gets for them to do whatever they want.
  • Another reason to not support the kinect...
  • Jesus Christ anyone who doesn't or hasn't guessed that the government don't minister shit loads of communication methods with lives in the dark ages or is completely and utterly brain dead. It has been known for ages that terror it's meet easy suceptable people on Internet or in online games. It's a fact if life. Shame but it is. For all the people paranoid about being watched or getting caught doing something here's some advice. 1. Don't w**k when your xbox is on 2. Chuck a yowl over kinect or better yet turn it off. 4. Realise the government doesn't minister everyone just suspicious people. 5. Get a life or go live in a fucking cave.
  • True and I agree I live in Missouri and believe me I understand look at the government trying to ban weapons and me and fellow others are fighting our right to bear arms the reason the government is so anal like they are is because I believe there scared of those who will fight least that's my opinion
  • Lol, I thought it sounded like someone else was in my party chat the other night besides the 3 of us playing...
  • well as long as they dont steal my modern welfare game idea where the whole point is to go around spending government funds on red bull, or female characters having as many kids as possible, or many of my other various achievement challenge ideas....whatever. i dont care what they do on xbox. but if they see me boosting they need to boost too or leave the game. tired of government agencies crapping on my boosting sessions cause they earned their achievements "legit"
  • So, the Cold War never ended huh? Shocker.
  • PlayStation Network, not even good enough for terrorist in mud huts.
  • The NSA may want to stay away from BF3 than. Theres a whole lot of "jihad jeep" going on there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clDpZIaU3-Q
  • I don't really care about this one bit. In this day and age of technology the governments have to use all the resources out there to monitor potential threats. It will become a problem when the use any private information we have to break in and arrest us, until that happens it is pointless to argue against them doing it. People like Snowden are traitors to their governments and not some kinda heroes. He should be tried and if found guilty sentence to either life in prison or death. The main fact that most people forget about the leaked info is that its not always hurtful to the government but to the people who's names are associated with it cause its their job. If spies or counter intelligence agents are named there is a good chance that the may be arrested, detained, or killed. The people that bitch about the government watching them are the same idiots that post what they just did, where they live, and how to make contact with them on facebook, twitter, instagram, and any other social media network. Last if you did not know this was happening you would not have anything to bitch at. So just remember that what little info that has been leaked there is more that you dont know about.
  • Am I the only one who doesn't care if they are "spying" on me? I'm not doing anything but playing video games. If they want to waste their time watching me kill zombies or blow up tanks in BF then go right ahead, nothing I'm doing is really exciting to watch anyway..
  • Funny that they still try to write it off that its all about the imaginary terror plots they never manage to catch in time perpetrated by people who are in one way or another somehow tied back the big brother government. Exactly like 1984. DHS, FBI, etc. YEARS ago pressured Microsoft and the like to make their internet realms accessible to them in real time which is why we have SKYPE on XBone (and also why MS patented back doors to Skype years before they even acquired it. Time for the government ass-kissers to eat crow but unfortunately wont undo any of this shit
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  • #Illuminati
  • I think we should call their bluff and all talk about blowing shit up and assassinating key political/royal targets and see what happens. Imagine if they suddenly had millions of leads to investigate? I assume they would give up rather than risk real terrorist attacks from more possible sources.
  • Why don't they just use The Observatory in the Caribbean.
  • I used to get busy in the living room all the time. It never bothered me until I got a Kinect. Then it always felt like someone was watching. :p Oh well since I didn't stop if they were watching someone got quite a show.
  • @32 Are you pinky, or the brain?
  • Freedom ain't free, it costs folks like u & me.
  • "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Benjamin Franklin
  • Via "The Guardian." Are you fucking kidding me? How does any journalist on the planet not know better than to use that tabloid garbage as a source for their articles? Let me save you the trouble of working this out yourselves: If The Guardian reported it, IT AIN'T TRUE. If you don't believe anything you read from the magazines in the checkout line at the supermarket, you shouldn't believe this crap.
  • #91- exactly. I have nothing to hide, the NSA wouldn't get anything interesting from me...but that doesn't mean I feel the govt/nsa has the right to freely and secretly monitor/record whatever I do. I'm amazed at how many people just give in with the "That's the world today" attitude. As long as you keep bending, they will keep pushing.
  • @92: You do realise that Edward Snowden's leaks are going out through The guardian, don't you?
  • @79: I love the idea that they would sit there, try both networks, maybe COD it up on both new systems and go "effing PSN, we take over the world through Xbox Live. It's all ready to go, they terrorise their own customers, that's it, it's decided, we go with MS for our terrorist acts". (Guns fired into the air.)
  • I'm sorry, Al-Qaeda playing on Xbox? seriously, that's just giving them too much credit. Besides, does anyone one of these "terrorists" own an Xbox? I think they favor more on the PlayStation in my honest thought.
  • *YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN* Yea, no shit !.... most people assumed these things waaaaay before that idiot ran his mouth... Snowden was not privy to any special information that his colleagues and predecessors were not well aware of. He was just the one who couldn't put things into context and ran his mouth, like a child given information they should not have. Snowden didn't do anything but needlessly instigate. Don't justify his ignorant betrayal by calling him a "whistle blower" . The government is not "coming for you" through xbox, or your computer, or your email ... freaking paranoid delusional morons. If you are soooo upset that the government can actually do this shit in the first place....... GO LOOK UP THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE PATRIOT ACT!!
  • This is utter BS. I mean it's been obvious for years before the guy blew the whistle that governments did this, but it's completely ineffective when monitoring online gaming, especially war simulators like Call of Duty. Not only are terms like bombing and killing a part of the game itself, but anyone actually using the service to coordinate real life crimes, terrorism or otherwise, would just discuss the details via party/private chat or simply mute the other players in the game so that they can't hear each other. It is a waste of their resources to spy on these services and analyze the "findings." If they really want to nail these guys, they need to put someone undercover in a suspect's circle, plant bugs, etc. Not hope to catch random ones that are technologically impractical to even attempt to spy on. When was the last time you heard of a terrorist playing games anyway? Imagine this: High ranking Al-Quaeda operative addressing the world with a demand. Says he needs a large amount of money by noon tomorrow or he'll kill a hostage. Why noon? He says he wants it on time for his COD clan match so he doesn't have to spend that time working to gather required funds for his cell. And just because he's cocky, he'll also mention in the video his gamertag, PSN ID, whatever, as "a challenge to all the noobs out there." Yeah, like anything like that's ever going to happen. *Heavy sarcasm* TL;DR: The government is wasting TIME and MONEY by spying on the video game community.
  • It's not right, but anyone who complains about this shouldn't have an online gaming system, a computer, a cellphone, etc. Stay off the grid and off the map if it seems to bother you so much.
  • @98 TL;DR Maybe if you read up about what's really going on out here you would understand.
  • Unless they can monitor Party Chats... seems like a waste of time, but I hope the person listening in likes my jokes.
  • Can't wait till they arrest someone on suspicion of plotting terrorist acts falsely. It will cost them Hundreds of Millions. Just hope it's not me. My friends would make me take the Blue Pill.... ;-)
  • Durka Durka Mohammed Jihad!
  • Well, this isn't surprising..
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