Microsoft Patents Technology to Automatically Censor Real-Time Speech

[TV-VCR 15]

1UP News

Microsoft Patents Technology to Automatically Censor Real-Time Speech

Has Microsoft actually developed a way to keep dirty words off of Xbox Live?

By Kris Pigna, 10/20/2008

It's a well known formula: Internet plus anonymity equals jerks who will curse up a storm just for the sake of cursing. As any Xbox 360 gamer knows, it's a particularly nasty problem on Xbox Live... but has Microsoft actually developed a way to shut these fools up for good? According to Ars Technica, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has approved a patent for "automatic censorship of audio data for broadcast." Which would probably lead most reasonable people to wonder: How the f*** is that even possible?

As the description of the patent states, "an input audio data stream comprising speech is processed by an automatic censoring filter in either a real-time mode, or a batch mode, producing censored speech that has been altered so that undesired words or phrases are either unintelligible or inaudible." A more complete description of how the process works follows:

"The automatic censoring filter employs a lattice comprising either

phonemes

and/or words derived from phonemes for comparison against corresponding phonemes or words included in undesired speech data. If the probability that a phoneme or word in the input audio data stream matches a corresponding phoneme or word in the undesired speech data is greater than a probability threshold, the input audio data stream is altered so that the undesired word or a phrase comprising a plurality of such words is unintelligible or inaudible. The censored speech can either be stored or made available to an audience in real-time."

Elsewhere in the patent, it is explicitly stated this technology could be used for censoring chats in online games: "For certain types of broadcasts, it would be preferable to employ a more automated approach that avoids the need to pay for or provide a human censor to monitor the broadcast, while still enabling the audio data to be censored at an appropriate level. For example, in massive multiplayer games, it would be impractical to employ a human censor to monitor the multitude of voice chat sessions that might be occurring at one time."

What's most curious about this technology is the claim of it working in real-time. Chatting over Xbox Live or through something like TeamSpeak on the PC happens more or less instantly, with little delay between when you say something and when everyone else hears it (as there are during live television broadcasts, giving censors time to bleep words before they go out over the airwaves). As such, this automatic censor program would, potentially within a second, have to immediately detect an undesirable word and replace or remove it before it reaches the ears on the other line.

If this program actually works and becomes available for online games, it raises a couple of interesting questions. Would it be an optional filter? Would the ESRB make it mandatory for online games that aren't rated Mature (and once and for all remove that silly "Game experience may change during online play" warning)? What if someone speaks incoherently and the program detects and alters words that aren't actually explicit? ("So I was with my girlfriend last night, and I introduced her to funk for the first time. She enjoyed it. She enjoyed the funk all night. I mean, just wild amounts of funk all up in her ear.")

quote>

I'm fine with this as long as it doesn't censor words that aren't actually "bad", and it doesn't censor words that aren't considered universally bad (i.e. damn, hell, etc.). Swearing like a sailor Swearing like an Xbox Live preteen doesn't make you look cool.

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

wow, always trying to down on my cursing! how dare they!

[Godzillaman 21]

I don't mind. 5 Year old "white rapper" kids shouldn't play anyways. But my main concern is if they are going to be control freaks and censor random words...

[TV-VCR 15]

Originally posted by: Godzillaman my main concern is if they are going to be control freaks and censor random words...quote>

Like "treadstone"? 

[BurroDiablo 222]

As long as they don't force it upon us I'm fine with it. God knows swearing is needed over XBL, some people are vastly annoying and deserve their ear chewed off.

[fukuda 351]

The automatic censoring filter employs a lattice comprising either phonemes and/or words derived from phonemes for comparison against corresponding phonemes or words included in undesired speech data.quote>

Remember, my username must be probounced in japanese instead of english, or you could end with a phrase like "Hey *bleep*uda" ._.

[Duke87 1,070]

Well, that's just fine so long as it's something the listener can turn on or off (perhaps with a parental control option for parents to lock it on for their kids).

But personally, I despise having to listen to censored audio (part of why I never listen to the radio. Edited versions of songs = fail). So you can guarantee something which includes this as mandatory is something I will not be using.

Still, I suppose it's irrelevant to me personally since a) I don't do the online gaming thing, and b) I don't have an Xbox/Xbox 360 nor do I want one.

[fukuda 351]

Originally posted by: Duke87 But personally, I despise having to listen to censored audio (part of why I never listen to the radio. Edited versions of songs = fail). quote>

Ohh you have censored radio broadcasts?

We don't here, in fact there are tons of insults and banned words flying out of our radio stations

[BurroDiablo 222]

It sounds like GTA death matches will probably become more like an Episode of Father Ted "Fup you ya fupping backstard!"

[Patricius Maximus 236]

Well, that's just fine so long as it's something the listener can turn on or off quote>

I'm fine with it, too, as long as it is an option.

Censorship option = Helping Consumers

Mandatory Censorship = Road to Oppression

This should be watched closely, as Microsoft does not have a good reputation for protecting liberty.

- Patricius Maximus

[bourneid 13]

Originally posted by: TV-VCR

Originally posted by: Godzillaman my main concern is if they are going to be control freaks and censor random words...quote>

Like "treadstone"?  quote>

is that a BourneID refrence...  hehe.....

It may just be me, but I dont think that Micro$oft would invest the money on just a simple online chat filter.....  but that use combined with its application to censer TV broadcast, sportsevents....and such would be the real money maker.

does anyone else fell a bit unconfortable with someone being able to censer out "objectionable" speech..... 

I mean I hate the buttheads.....  freedom of expresion is a basic right.... even if thatexpresion makes you sound moronic.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: fukuda

Originally posted by: Duke87 But personally, I despise having to listen to censored audio (part of why I never listen to the radio. Edited versions of songs = fail). quote>

Ohh you have censored radio broadcasts?

We don't here, in fact there are tons of insults and banned words flying out of our radio stations quote>

By "here", I presume you mean in Japan?

Understandable, culture there is much more lenient on obscenity.

In the US, the FCC has the right to regulate what you can and can't broadcast when and where. There are certain words you can't use on the radio or on network TV (with cable TV it's much less restrictive). You can't depict excessive gore or sexually explicit material on network TV.

And the supreme court has in fact upheld that the FCC has the right to set certain standards of decency that people must adhere to on pubic airwaves. The argument being that people don't want to be coming across certain things when channel surfing, and parents need to be able to trust that when they leave their kids in front of the TV that they won't see or hear something horrible, etc.

You'd think it violates the first amendment, but come on, it's okay to ignore the constitution if you think it's for a good cause, right?

[Patricius Maximus 236]

You'd think it violates the first amendment, but come on, it's okay to ignore the constitution if you think it's for a good cause, right?quote>

Like him?

[fukuda 351]

Originally posted by: Duke87

Originally posted by: fukuda

Originally posted by: Duke87 But personally, I despise having to listen to censored audio (part of why I never listen to the radio. Edited versions of songs = fail). quote>

Ohh you have censored radio broadcasts?

We don't here, in fact there are tons of insults and banned words flying out of our radio stations quote>

By "here", I presume you mean in Japan?

Understandable, culture there is much more lenient on obscenity. quote>

Ehm no *cough*  "Here" means Spain in my case, as one of my family names doesn't especially show where I'm living

And censorship is not very well seen .. at all, it reminds people of the dictatorship

Well, anyway, catalan culture is very similar in the "obscenity" aspect to japanese culture

[Muck308 55]

Are you making Hitler comparisons? That's a little harsh.

Personally, I disapprove of censorship of ANY kind, but that doesn't mean I'm not fascinated with how this works.

But can it keep up? I'm sure a team of programmers compiled the list of "bleepable" words... but what about when a new dirty word comes up? Remember a few years back when the whole world was yelling skeet skeet skeet with no idea what it meant?

[TV-VCR 15]

Originally posted by: Muck308 Remember a few years back when the whole world was yelling skeet skeet skeet with no idea what it meant?quote>

Skeet has other meaning too, you know. 

Originally posted by: Duke87 You'd think it violates the first amendment, but come on, it's okay to ignore the constitution if you think it's for a good cause, right?quote>

The constitution means absolutely nothing in this country now. I'm sure, with enough work, the goverment could pass a bill that bans firearms and disallows women's voting next week.

[Muck308 55]

Originally posted by: TV-VCR

Originally posted by: Muck308 Remember a few years back when the whole world was yelling skeet skeet skeet with no idea what it meant?quote>

Skeet has other meaning too, you know.  quote>

I know... but I was referring to those who repeated it after hearing a certain song on the radio. There may very well be a company in Ohio named Cleveland Steamer, but the phrase still has a meaning when people say it.

[hamsterTK 93]

I think this technology just simplifies the process of adding bleeps to broadcasts. I hate bleeps a lot, the jarring noise ruins the dialog.

When you really think about it, the concern over four-letter word profanity is pretty bizarre, you have to admit. None of those words mean anything that's truly offensive anymore. Exactly what's wrong with feces, semen, or your posterior?

I think that truly offensive/hateful language requires more that one word, can't just be covered up by a bleep, and is something you know is wrong not because of the word choice but because what is being said is false and bigoted. Luckily this is rarely spoken and never seen on TV in the first plce.

[Patricius Maximus 236]

When you really think about it, the concern over four-letter word profanity is pretty bizarre, you have to admit. None of those words mean anything that's truly offensive anymore. Exactly what's wrong with feces, semen, or your posterior?quote>

Four-letter profanity has nothing wrong with it intrinsically. I only don't like it when it is used excessively as expletives, in which case it gets annoying.

I do know some people who have an... extremist approach to all kinds of profanity, no matter how it is used. Expletives usually express strong emotion or shocking events, et cetera.

When they are used trivially, it is distasteful, and I think this is where the objection comes from.

I think that truly offensive/hateful language requires more that one word, can't just be covered up by a bleep, and is something you know is wrong not because of the word choice but because what is being said is false and bigoted. Luckily this is rarely spoken and never seen on TV in the first plce.quote>

Agreed. That kind of language is rarely seen. Usually four-letter profanity only augments what is being said.