I think you missed part of what I was saying in the comment. I'm aware it's a statement released by them, that's why I said "but I'm not sure how much I buy that" after mentioning their words on privacy, but you can still turn the thing off.
I already conceded that they will likely gather information on you, even saying that really that doesn't even require the camera/microphone (which is a concern when dealing with every online transaction really), but that I still don't want one because I don't want the creepy vibe I get by having it in my house.
All I was saying was you can in fact shut it down, and there are ways to get the camera not to be as intrusive, but that it's a hassle to do that in the first place, so I still don't want one, and still find it a bit creepy. Whether or not they say that, you can, because that thing, with its probably gigantic amount of energy usage, is not going to run unless it's plugged in. But I guess if you're heavy into online gaming they still could use it for dubious means, but to me that's just the privacy issue that comes with any webcam, all of which can be hacked.
I did say one positive thing which was the calories burned thing seemed kind of cool, only because I'm on an exercise routine and calorie diet. But that's been working for me without the camera so eh.
