Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#391

Post by aryik » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 8:58 PM UTC

_trampeltier wrote: post #84

phone8675309 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the companies make a large amount of money on the platform. Look at Apple/Google/MS/Sony/Nintendo charging for access to the platform - either explicitly for online play, by taking a cut of sales on the platform, or in the case of the console makers - both. As someone who prefers to play games alone, it's frustrating. The first five minutes after installing Steam is a constantly stream of "stfu and stop shovi…

For me it's the reason, why I never started gaming again. I just wanna buy a game and play. I don't wanna have any spyware on my PC.

This is why I love the Switch compared to all the other modern consoles. When I try to use a PS4 or an Xbox it feels like I'm fighting to be able to play - 10's of GB's of updates that take hours to "copy" after download, slow system updates, games that need to install for an hour after you put in the disc, etc. etc.

The Switch is the first console I've used in years where it seems like the maker of the console actually wants me to play games.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#392

Post by MereInterest » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 8:58 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #253

hapless wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good luck enforcing GDPR against any of the malign actors you should most wish to enforce GDPR against

Facebook and everything associated with it is doing everything they can to be and remain GDPR compliant. Facebook has already been fined under the GDPR so it looks like that enforcement is working.

Wait, wait, wait a minute. In the same comment, you are claiming that Facebook is GDPR compliant, and that Facebook was fined for violating the GDPR. It sure seems like there is a major contradiction between those two.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#393

Post by LegitShady » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:01 PM UTC

AlexandrB wrote: post #3

> Giving people a single way to log into Oculus — using their Facebook account and password — will make it easier to find, connect, and play with friends in VR. Ugh. I guess Facebook is making a play to become the Steam/XBox Live of VR. Why can't we just have gaming peripherals anymore without some kind of platform tie-in?

Oculus was always trying to do this. When they first launched they did the same purchased exclusives stuff epic has done. Their software isn't compatible with other platforms except through unsupported hacks and they have no plans of changing that.

This was the whole oculus spirit since the beginning.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#394

Post by ccktlmazeltov » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:02 PM UTC

AlexandrB wrote: post #30

atarian wrote: post #13

Palmer Luckey, the original creator had this to say over on /r/oculus: I am already getting heat from users and media outlets who say this policy change proves I was lying when I consistently said this wouldn't happen, or at least that it was a guarantee I wasn't in a position to make. I want to make clear that those promises were approved by Facebook in that moment and on an ongoing basis, and I really believed it w…

Exhibit n + 1 on why when you're acquired you're not in a position to promise anything to anyone despite any assurances from the acquirer. Or, from the consumer's side, why those promises should carry no weight.

is it such a big deal to create a fb account though? Can't you just use a fake name if you don't care about having a fb account?

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#395

Post by ehnto » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:02 PM UTC

nrp wrote: post #140

atarian wrote: post #13

Palmer Luckey, the original creator had this to say over on /r/oculus: I am already getting heat from users and media outlets who say this policy change proves I was lying when I consistently said this wouldn't happen, or at least that it was a guarantee I wasn't in a position to make. I want to make clear that those promises were approved by Facebook in that moment and on an ongoing basis, and I really believed it w…

Most of the folks on this thread are commenting from the perspective of 2020, but Facebook had pretty significantly different reputation in 2014, especially around M&A. They had recently brought in both Instagram and WhatsApp without meddling in either their product stacks or their leadership teams. It's easy to claim now that this was all naive, but at the time it was plausible that these organizations and brands wo…

I have to disagree, many assumed there would be some kind of hamfisted integration even in 2014. The only surprising thing is how long they held off.

I had huge concerns regarding FB's purchase of Oculus at the time and I wasn't the only one. It was the single reason I did not buy an Oculus. It wasn't that I thought they would be brazen either, I just assumed they would be hoovering data up behind the scenes, and trading data between Oculus and FB.

If this announcement had occurred in 2014, it would not have been surprising, I think the concerns were clear from the outset to most of the community. The only people who were starry eyed were those who just wanted Oculus funded well and were happy to take the word of the founder.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#396

Post by ryanSrich » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:02 PM UTC

codezero wrote: post #248

beachy wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this means Facebook directly gets to use your VR usage/purchases to market to you, and they will follow you around the web Only if you use or log into your bogus FB account.

Having your IP address is identifiable enough (combined with all the other joys of big data) to Facebook and its marketing wing, so don't feel too confident, but if you don't care, then that's kind of the point.

Wondering if creating burning accounts for everything would prevent any tracking. Basically

- create burner gmail

- create burner oculus name/account

- create burner Facebook account

- always use a VPN

It seems like you could completely remain anonymous and provide Facebook with data they could never correlate to a real person.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#397

Post by liability » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:02 PM UTC

Karunamon wrote: post #381

jameshart wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sentiment is of course not, originally, attributable to kps though. Regarding people who ascribe benign intent to Facebook, it was first expressed by one M Zuckerberg. In 2004. And first reported by Business Insider in 2010.

In 2004, yes. 16 years ago. I'd hate to be judged for immature statements I made nearly two decades ago.

Whether or not it's fair to judge people for things they said 16 years ago when none of their subsequent actions or statements give any reason to believe they're a different person today isn't germane to the point, which is that Facebook/Zuckerberg's poor reputation are not new.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#398

Post by ccktlmazeltov » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:02 PM UTC

xg15 wrote: post #386

This is something that still completely baffles me about the "IoT"/"smart devices"/"connected devices"/"whatever you want to call it" space. If someone advertised a device as capable of doing X without it in fact being able to do X, they'd be liable for false advertising. If someone sold you a device, then took it back or destroyed it, they'd be liable for theft or destruction of property. Nevertheless, if someone se…

You need internet to download games to your oculus quest, so it makes sense to have an account to keep track of what games you own no? I still don't understand what people have against this change. You needed an oculus account prior to this, now it's a facebook account, what's the big deal?

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#399

Post by ccktlmazeltov » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:03 PM UTC

danShumway wrote: post #116

A very brief history of Facebook's involvement with Oculus and how this has shaped up, just from quickly searching HN previous posts: - (2014) Facebook acquires Oculus: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7469115 , https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7469237 - (2016) Oculus's privacy policy sparks concern: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11410809 Oculus responds to privacy concerns about user tracking ( https:…

That's one side of the story, the Quest wouldn't exist without Facebook

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#400

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 9:03 PM UTC

nrp wrote: post #140

atarian wrote: post #13

Palmer Luckey, the original creator had this to say over on /r/oculus: I am already getting heat from users and media outlets who say this policy change proves I was lying when I consistently said this wouldn't happen, or at least that it was a guarantee I wasn't in a position to make. I want to make clear that those promises were approved by Facebook in that moment and on an ongoing basis, and I really believed it w…

Most of the folks on this thread are commenting from the perspective of 2020, but Facebook had pretty significantly different reputation in 2014, especially around M&A. They had recently brought in both Instagram and WhatsApp without meddling in either their product stacks or their leadership teams. It's easy to claim now that this was all naive, but at the time it was plausible that these organizations and brands wo…

[deleted]