Intel is going to make a paid Web TV service with a set-top box, joining the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Google in the game of converging TV with the Internet. But some tech commenters are already feeling violated, as Intel's set-top box will include a camera to monitor TV watchers.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the chip-making company will offer a selection of live and on-demand TV programs, along with a user interface which should make it easier for viewers to find and catch up on shows than is currently available with cable and satellite interfaces.
But the set-top box will have a video camera and microphone, and the box will have face-recognition software embedded in the device. Erik Huggers, head of Intel Media, says the facial recognition technology will be useful for tailoring TV shows for each individual viewer. For example, it would be able to identify and block children from watching inappropriate shows with adult content.
Intel is also thinking the camera will enable social viewing, something that is coming into more vogue as "second screen" television watching (viewing shows while using a laptop or tablet with social media programs running) has increased. Intel's social viewing idea is for videoconferencing between remotely-located family members, while watching the same show - the modern equivalent of the family gathering around the warm glow of a single TV set.
While there's an optional shutter to stop the camera's operation, some are already worrying about the potential for invasive tracking of users while they watch television. For example, advertisers would be able to get an exact fix on who's watching what television shows, by age, gender, and demographics, with a single look.
The camera could also potentially track whether you sit to watch a commercial or get up to make a sandwich. In fact, it could track how often and how much you eat in front of the television - a shame-inducing invasion of privacy that many are probably not ready for.
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