![\"LynetteOwens_Trend_bw_edit\"](\"\/internet-safety\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/LynetteOwens_Trend_bw_edit2-150x150.jpg\")
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By Lynette Owens<\/p>\n
Three years ago, I wrote about my family\u2019s experience with the ground-breaking Xbox 360 Kinect<\/a>.\u00a0 Despite all the issues outlined, we love it \u2013 it\u2019s given us countless hours of fun as a family and with friends.\u00a0 We also have expended a lot of calories because of it.<\/p>\n The decision to invest in any gaming console is not a small one, given the price of the console, the accessories like controllers, the games and any additional services you choose to buy (access to gaming communities, video services like Netflix, etc.); it\u2019s not a small investment.\u00a0 The argument to buy one for your family is weaker if you\u2019re going to be sedentary playing it.\u00a0 But if you splurge for something like the Xbox Kinect sensor and the games specifically designed to go with it, where the only thing you need to do is move your body, then the investment is much more worthwhile.<\/p>\n In addition to cost, there are two other issues to consider: privacy and age-appropriateness of games and Internet content.\u00a0 Below are some tips on how to manage these on the new Xbox ONE, however, in the end, no matter what settings or technology there are to ensure your kids use technology safely and responsibly, there is no replacement for being an involved parent.<\/p>\n Welcoming the Xbox ONE<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n When the Xbox ONE was announced, I knew it would improve upon some of the performance issues of the Xbox 360. One major issue we faced was the delay between our physical motion and the game\u2019s motion.\u00a0 We seemed to constantly recalibrate the device to recognize us because it wouldn\u2019t move or it would confuse which one of us was in control of the game.<\/p>\n The Xbox ONE also boasts many other home entertainment services that force you to rethink needing any other box sitting beneath your TV, with services such as Netflix, a web browser, music services, etc. (Note: the Xbox ONE console is considerably bigger and more boxy than its predecessor.\u00a0 So we had to re-arrange the shelves to make room for it.)<\/p>\n We also had heard the Kinect sensor with the Xbox ONE would potentially be monitoring far more than we wanted, but there were powerful benefits to this.\u00a0 If it was on and you entered the room, it would recognize your face and voice, which seemed as cool as it was creepy.\u00a0 If my kids are already using it and I later walk in the room, a message pop ups saying \u201cHi Lynette\u201d when it sees me on screen.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t fully explored the benefits of this yet, but look forward to seeing if it\u2019s worth this kind of personal recognition.<\/p>\n Bigger Window to the World<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n There are many privacy issues to consider with today\u2019s gaming consoles, especially those that use motion-sensor technology.\u00a0 It was and has been a constant battle in my head between the desire for privacy and having a fantastic experience together with my family.<\/p>\n Since most gaming consoles are connected to the Internet and have the ability to share what you\u2019re doing with the public through social networking sites or in gaming communities like Xbox LIVE, you need to first be very aware of this then take action to protect your privacy before<\/i> you start playing.\u00a0\u00a0 Make sure you know exactly what you\u2019re sharing and with whom you\u2019re sharing it.\u00a0 These consoles have basically opened up a door to your home where you and your kids can see the world, and the world can see you.<\/p>\n As a parent, I knew we wanted to set up different profiles for the different people in our family.\u00a0 I also knew we didn\u2019t want anything<\/em> shared publicly.\u00a0 Setting up the device was not difficult.\u00a0 There is very little paper documentation in the box (like Apple devices) so it walks you through the set-up fairly well.<\/p>\n Managing the privacy settings was a different issue.<\/p>\n Setting Up Profiles for Kids: Half the Answer<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n In my opinion, the default privacy settings for all users of the Xbox ONE are not very private, even for adults, so spend the time upfront if you really want things kept out of the public eye.\u00a0 When you set up each player\u2019s profile, you have a choice of the type of profile you want (child, teen, adult, custom); under each, you have options on filtering what you see, what you can play, what television shows\/movies you watch, what you share with the world, and where you\u2019re connected on social media.<\/p>\n We had no problem in setting up profiles for the adults.\u00a0 But we had a few problems setting up profiles for my kids.<\/p>\n In short, it\u2019s a very complicated process that will hopefully be streamlined one day.\u00a0 The reason it has become more complicated is because of the Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a law which requires any online site to obtain verifiable parent permission before collecting information from kids under 13 years old.\u00a0 This law was updated in July 2013, just a few months before the Xbox ONE launch.<\/p>\n Microsoft has attempted to comply with COPPA through this profile set-up process, but there are 3 issues you should be prepared to deal with as you go through it:<\/p>\n Issue 1:<\/span> You need an email address. Every Xbox ONE user profile needs a Microsoft Live account, and you need an email address to open a Live account.\u00a0 For children under 13, this didn\u2019t make sense since they\u2019re too young to use most email services.\u00a0 So we set up email accounts for our kids, but had to enter fictitious birthdays in order to do it.\u00a0 With an email account, we opened the Live account, and then proceeded to complete their profile.<\/p>\n Microsoft uses a method which is more likely to ensure an adult is truly involved in allowing the child to have a profile.\u00a0 It asked us to enter a credit card number and charged us $0.50 to ensure it was a working card.\u00a0 Again, this is in place as a way to comply with COPPA. (See image of email regarding COPPA credit card charge.)<\/em><\/p>\n In theory, this seems like a reasonable request \u2013 and not unlike other online sites I\u2019ve used with my kids.\u00a0 It\u2019s a problem for those who do not have credit cards.\u00a0 But even if you do, it\u2019s quite a lot of juggling.\u00a0 I bounced between my laptop for email and Microsoft Live account access and the Xbox console controller.<\/p>\n Issue 3:<\/span> \u00a0You\u2019re still not done at this point. \u00a0Once you\u2019ve verified that you\u2019re the parent, you can finish the child\u2019s profile setup.\u00a0 However, even though you\u2019ve gone through all these steps, Xbox doesn\u2019t take it from there.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t connect the fact that this profile is for a child.\u00a0 You still need to do a lot of settings management.\u00a0 You have the option to choose a profile type (Child, Teen, Adult, Custom).\u00a0 I chose Child, but even this option did not assume that certain games, movies, TV. shows, music, social networks, or Internet content should be filtered.\u00a0 The default for Child allows for a lot to be accessed.\u00a0 Same goes for the content that they might share publicly.<\/p>\n The Best Solution: the Involved Parent<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n This process was very confusing and time consuming, especially relative to our experience with the Xbox 360. \u00a0But I understand why it is imperfect.\u00a0 The parent hurdle is necessary because of COPPA and the attempt to comply with COPPA wasn\u2019t the most elegant, but it\u2019s bound to be cumbersome in other places where COPPA has a role.\u00a0 So I give Microsoft some credit for trying to do the right thing.<\/p>\n There is another issue with technologies that use voice and facial recognition to work.\u00a0 As I had posted 3 years ago with the Xbox 360, Microsoft is in fact collecting other data about you and your kids, such as a person\u2019s skeletal frame, movements, reactions, and other bio-data that is considered to be personally identifying information and therefore subject to COPPA compliance per the updated rules in July.\u00a0 Microsoft says it collects this, anonymizes it, and sends it to game developers who use it to improve the game experience.\u00a0\u00a0 For more on this issue, here\u2019s a great post by David Tashroudian<\/a> about the impact of COPPA on the Kinect.<\/p>\n Despite all of this, it has not stopped my family from enjoying the Xbox ONE together.\u00a0 If you\u2019re considering purchasing one, be prepared to spend lots of time up front on how you want to manage your family\u2019s privacy and experience.\u00a0 Despite any company\u2019s good intentions or simply compliance with the law, no technical settings or solutions will ever be able to replace your presence and involvement in how your kids use technology.\u00a0 Being an informed parent is the best way to make sure your family is safe and your kids are using the Xbox as you had hoped.\u00a0 And don\u2019t pass up the opportunity to have a great time (and expend some calories) using it as a family, too.<\/p>\n![\"Xbox_COPPA_email\"](\"\/internet-safety\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Xbox_COPPA_email-150x150.png\")
<\/a>Issue 2:<\/span> You need access to multiple things to finish the set up.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be jumping back and forth from the Xbox set-up, your credit card, your email inbox, and your Microsoft Live Account in order to set up each child\u2019s profile.<\/p>\n