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MS Passport Privacy Policy Revised

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the on-the-rebound dept.

nilstar writes: "Cnet has a story here about how Microsoft will revamp its "draconian" privacy policy. Better yet.... how about we get a warning on the bottom of the IE6 window saying that this site's privacy policy is unnacceptable every time someone logs on to a passport site." Looks like it has already been changed. Update 10AM EST by J : Make sure to check out the Wired story too. Jason Catlett of Junkbusters nails it: "if Microsoft doesn't know what's in its own terms of service regarding personal information, then what hope do its customers have for the privacy of their own information?"

5 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Re:News for Nerds, Stuff That's Not Quite Current by IntlHarvester · · Score: 5

    Microsoft basically shot themselves in the PR foot and they deserve to get tweaked on this.

    It was only two weeks ago that they announced the "Hailstorm" subscription services, centered around Passport, and then had to dodge the obvious question "Why should I trust my data to you guys?". It would have been alot easier if they weren't already claiming IP rights to data flowing through their system.

    Speaking of TRUSTe, apparently IE 6 will include a little status bar icon showing if the site has a privacy policy. Not if the policy is at all acceptable or not, just if it is there. Of course all MS sites will show "Thumbs Up OK!", where visiting any normal site will produce "Oh No! Unknown! Scary!"

    Not that this really makes any difference, it's just a small example in the psychological warfare involved in making the next generation of hosting services acceptable to the public. (Netscape did a similar thing with SSL and the overly big broken/unbroken key icon in versions 1-3). And when you get things like this instead of a 'Disable JavaScript' toolbar button, it just shows how the users aren't really driving the specs.
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    Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
  2. Re:Dammit by Spoing · · Score: 5
    Hmmmm....RIAA vs. Microsoft. Who the hell do you root for?

    That's simple. The lawyers.

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    A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
  3. Can you say "bullshit"? by autocracy · · Score: 5
    Sorry to post twice like this, but here is an excellent quote:

    Microsoft's Pilla said the company has different terms of use and privacy policies for each service in the MSN Network, including Hotmail, Passport and MSN Messenger. He said that each privacy policy is approved by Truste--a privacy policy auditor--and written with consumers' notice and consent in mind.

    Here it is: bullshit. They just let you use their sticker to say you actually HAVE a privacy policy. It's misleading and (honestly) used by companies to lure people into the whole false sense of security thing. TRUSTe has never actually reviewed privacy policies...

    I can't be karma whoring - I've already hit 50!

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    SIG: HUP
  4. Scared of Slashdot by kikta · · Score: 5

    They must have read the article on Slashdot the other day and freaked out. OH SHIT, SLASHDOT'S ON TO US!!! Now if we could only get the same results with their other business practices...

  5. Dammit by Sol+Wientrub · · Score: 5

    There goes my plan to keep forwarding RIAA trademarks through my Hotmail account until Microsoft started claiming "rights" to them and the RIAA sued Billy boy and friends.

    Hmmmm....RIAA vs. Microsoft. Who the hell do you root for?