Apps/Games Requiring Permission on Xbox One

Apps/Games Requiring Permission on Xbox One

If you're a frequent Xbox One user, chances are you've loaded up a game or an app at some point and been greeted with a screen stating that permission is needed to continue. This can be a bit alarming at first, but it's actually harmless.


Here's the exact message that pops up:

"Permission Needed
Game/App needs your permission to:

Access your Xbox Live profile information and associated date, and sign you in to its services: App/Game will be able to access basic properties about your Xbox Live profile including your gamertag, friends list, activity, stats and rankings, settings and content you share. Learn more at aka.ms/datasharing.

Accepting these permissions means that you allow this app to use your data as specified in their terms of service and privacy statement. The publisher has not provided links to their terms for you to review. You can change these permissions at https://microsoft.com/consent.
Only accept if you trust the publisher."


A couple of key phrases to note are that the publisher won't let you see whatever terms you're blindly agreeing to and the part where it says to only accept if you trust the publisher. I thought this was Microsoft's job to make sure everybody releasing content on their marketplace is reputable, not the consumers. With so many releases coming out so quick, my guess is that it's just too much to keep up with at this point. So there are some instances where I might be a little hesitant to accept these, particularly with games from the Creators Collection or apps. Games from the Microsoft Store should be fine and I haven't encountered or heard of anything bad happening to anyone, but I can understand why one would be hesitant.

Really though it doesn't really seem like that big of a deal unless you're the type that likes to keep your Xbox date private. If any of your info is going to be shared, it'll be harmless stuff like your achievements and activities, nothing confidential like your pay or account login information. I've noticed reviews on some of the games that feature this disclaimer, with several reviewers stating that they didn't even play the game due to the paranoia of accepting these permissions. I'm willing to be these same people use Facebook and/or a mobile device, which no doubt tracks more information about you than your Xbox ever will. At the very least, pick the right things to be paranoid about!

One final reason these screens often pop-up is if the game is a "Play Anywhere" title, which are games that play across both PC and Xbox One. Check and see if the title giving you the disclaimer is a "Play Anywhere" game and if it is then you've likely found the reason. These are simply asking you if the data can be shared between PC and the Xbox One, though due to the wording I can understand how some people freak out.
Related Links:
Third Party Data Sharing - Xbox
Change Permissions - Microsoft