Sony's updated terms and conditions reveal that the company can actively monitor and record communication between players.

In a section in the company's new Software Usage Terms entitled 'Are we monitoring PSN?', the company declares that it is, but reassures that it is unable to monitor all communication.

Instead, Sony said it reserves the right to "monitor and record" text or voice communication, or user-generated media (UGM) where they feel it's necessary - for example, if another player submits a grief report. The disclosure comes amid widespread concerns over mass internet surveillance, after it was revealed that state officials across numerous western countries have been secretly accessing the user data of millions.

The full statement on Sony's site reads as follows:

Are we monitoring PSN?
Yes but we can't monitor all PSN activity and we make no commitment to do so. However, we reserve the right in our sole discretion to monitor and record any or all of your PSN activity and to remove any of your UGM at our sole discretion, without further notice to you.

Your use of PSN and our community features may be recorded and collected by us or sent to us by other users as described in 13.1.

Any information collected in this way, for example, your UGM, the content of your voice and text communications, video of your gameplay, the time and location of your activities, and your name, your PSN Online ID and IP address, may be used by us or our affiliated companies to enforce these Terms and the SEN Terms of Service, to comply with the law, to protect our rights and those of our licensors and users, and to protect the personal safety of our employees and users.

This information may be passed to the police or other appropriate authorities. By accepting these Software Usage Terms, you expressly consent to this.
Other agreements required in Sony's Software Usage Terms include the acceptance that all software is licensed, not sold, and that players "must not resell either disc-based software or software downloads, unless expressly authorised by [Sony]".

However, it is worth noting that similar statements have also been present in previous Terms & Conditions agreements for the PS3, PS Vita, PSP and Microsoft consoles.

Posted: Nov 11, 2013 12:26 pm
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/437572/sony-can-monitor-and-record-psn-activity/