The French like a lot of Europeans take privacy seriously. That’s why I wasn’t surprised that France’s National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) slapped a formal order on Microsoft to comply with data protection laws after it found Windows 10 was collecting “excessive data” about users:
In addition to this, the chair of CNIL has notified Microsoft that it needs to take “satisfactory measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of user data”. The notice comes after numerous complaints about Windows 10, and a series of investigations by French authorities which revealed a number of failings on Microsoft’s part.
Microsoft is accused of not only gathering excessive data about users, but also irrelevant data. The CNIL points to Windows 10’s telemetry service which gathers information about the apps users have installed and how long each is used for. The complaint is that “these data are not necessary for the operation of the service”.
The company is also criticized for its lack of sufficient security — such as the four-digit PIN used to protect payment information which does not have a limit on the number of guesses that can be made. The CNIL’s list of complaints does not end there. It also took exception to the activation of an advertising ID for tailored advertising without user consent, the lack of cookie blocking options, and the fact that data is being transferred out of Europe to the US.
Now that’s not a minor infraction. Clearly Microsoft gets that and has responded with this:
Microsoft has now responded, saying it is happy to work with the CNIL to work towards an acceptable solution. Interestingly, while not denying the allegations set against it, the company does nothing to defend the amount of data collected by Windows 10, and also fails to address the privacy concerns it raises.
Microsoft does address concerns about the transfer of data between Europe and the US, saying that while the Safe Harbor agreement is no longer valid, the company still complied with it up until the adoption of Privacy Shield.
Interesting. So Microsoft acknowledges but does not respond to allegations that Windows 10 collects excessive personal data. That will make Windows 10 users feel warm and fuzzy. Well, actually, not really. It should concern every Windows 10 user out there. It will be interesting to see if other countries clue in and join the party to bring this behavior under control.
Related
This entry was posted on July 21, 2016 at 1:33 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
French Government Accuses Microsoft Of Excessive Data Collection In Windows 10
The French like a lot of Europeans take privacy seriously. That’s why I wasn’t surprised that France’s National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) slapped a formal order on Microsoft to comply with data protection laws after it found Windows 10 was collecting “excessive data” about users:
In addition to this, the chair of CNIL has notified Microsoft that it needs to take “satisfactory measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of user data”. The notice comes after numerous complaints about Windows 10, and a series of investigations by French authorities which revealed a number of failings on Microsoft’s part.
Microsoft is accused of not only gathering excessive data about users, but also irrelevant data. The CNIL points to Windows 10’s telemetry service which gathers information about the apps users have installed and how long each is used for. The complaint is that “these data are not necessary for the operation of the service”.
The company is also criticized for its lack of sufficient security — such as the four-digit PIN used to protect payment information which does not have a limit on the number of guesses that can be made. The CNIL’s list of complaints does not end there. It also took exception to the activation of an advertising ID for tailored advertising without user consent, the lack of cookie blocking options, and the fact that data is being transferred out of Europe to the US.
Now that’s not a minor infraction. Clearly Microsoft gets that and has responded with this:
Microsoft has now responded, saying it is happy to work with the CNIL to work towards an acceptable solution. Interestingly, while not denying the allegations set against it, the company does nothing to defend the amount of data collected by Windows 10, and also fails to address the privacy concerns it raises.
Microsoft does address concerns about the transfer of data between Europe and the US, saying that while the Safe Harbor agreement is no longer valid, the company still complied with it up until the adoption of Privacy Shield.
Interesting. So Microsoft acknowledges but does not respond to allegations that Windows 10 collects excessive personal data. That will make Windows 10 users feel warm and fuzzy. Well, actually, not really. It should concern every Windows 10 user out there. It will be interesting to see if other countries clue in and join the party to bring this behavior under control.
Share this:
Like this:
Related
This entry was posted on July 21, 2016 at 1:33 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.