Microsoft legalizes collection of user info from its free services

[A Guy]

In a move that has not been noted by the great majority of Microsoft users, the Redmond giant has changed its Services Agreement on Friday in order to legalize the collection of all personal information and customer content that can be gathered from the consumers of its free Web-based products (Hotmail, Bing, Outlook email service, etc.), and to use it to improve its other services.

Source

A Guy

 

[Dave76]

Everybody is doing it, most aren't as bad as Google.
If they only get information that makes the software better, then it's ok. The alternative is to not use the vast majority of software and never use the internet.

 

[Cr00zng]

Everybody is doing it, most aren't as bad as Google.

While I agree....

Other than Google, nobody has as much information on people using the internet as Google does. That may change in the future and we'll see how bad they'll become.

Interestingly though, the others are questioned more about their collection of user information than Google ever had been. I guess the motto of "Do no evil" sort of made most people blind.

Here's an image of information collection companies from one website, that had been blocked by Ghostery:



Yeah, it isn't just MS that playing catch-up...

 

[Layback Bear]

Did you ever wonder when many companies gather information and always stipulate your personal information will never be misused or sold. We do it to improve our customers experience. Then how does all that information get out of this secure place they have and used by many. I believe many companies and governments have been doing this for years and just now telling us about it. Now Microsoft is telling us.

 

[ashleyg]

Thanks for pointing that out A Guy.

I wonder how that'll go down in the European Union. They are hammering Google and MS already over privacy and bundling etc issues.

 

[neo101]

Dont worry - they set up 'ECHELON' in Luxembourg years ago for spying on the public.

Recently all 'household name' companies Ebay, Paypal, Amazon etc moved their head-quarters there - so all transactions can be intercepted!