Microsoft labs invite users to put Xbox privacy to the test

The Xbox team will pioneer new design processes aimed at protecting privacy online

Software giant Microsoft will bring users in to test the privacy controls on future Xbox products before the initial design phase is finished.

If successful, the process could be adopted in the development of other software across the company.

This is much earlier than it normally conducts user testing, and Microsoft hopes that the change will enable a better response to the user feedback, resulting in a better privacy experience in the finished product.

Doug Park, director, online safety for the Xbox platform, explained what information he hopes the user tests will provide.

"The users will tell us if they feel safe using the product. We'll also see how much time it takes to find out where the privacy and safety settings are."

Park stated that a broad range of Xbox users will be brought in to the Xbox development labs for the tests, and will work from workflows showing how the proposed systems will work, and early physical prototypes.