XP, Phone Home

Randomeyes writes: "The Register reports that Windows XP has functionality built-in to the Search Companion module that allows Microsoft to log users internet searches. Information collected includes user IP address, search term and related information. A cookie is also set. 'TrustUnWorthy Computing' anyone?" Tanveer1979 writes: though, that "the bright side is that it doesn't send anything to internet, it only downloads files, and compares the files on your computer with the files on server. And I guess a little effort is needed for the malicious to program it to send your data to web."

Comments

In places where Internet is still expensive

[fruey]

But when we run an application for some local business like a file search, we don't expect it to connect silently to the Net, even for a good reason. When we discover something like this, it feels like someone else is in control of our computer, and that is definitely not a good feeling.

In the USA, Internet access is usually a monthly subscription and that's it. No phone charges, no charge per minute, just a certain amount of bandwidth per dollar spent.

In Europe, some people have now got access to 2 types of "free" Internet (neither is free).

• Free, in the sense that there is no subscription, but you pay local call charges. This is possible because the phone company pays a percentage to the ISP for call traffic generated
• Free calls, in the sense that local calls are to a no-charge phone number, so you can stay online as long as you like without a per-minute charge, but you have to pay a monthly fee of at least $20 US or more.

Which brings me to my point. If Internet connections are configured in such a way (as often they are) that the connection happens transparently because the username and password are stored, then people are going to pay call charges to search their local disk. If they don't realise this (especially in the case of ISDN connections) then they may run up quite a bill when they do an extensive search every time they lose a file.

I don't like this Internet-integration with the desktop in the OS. Sure, if I want it to happen, I can download some software helper. No doubt by hacking the registry or something equally scary for any novice user, you may be able to switch this off. But it reeks of abuse of my phone line.

It's interesting, no, that Microsoft do not necessarily take account of the European market when it comes to actual Internet access. Sure, they do multi language support but what about this particular Internet case?

I have clients who have been caught with huge bills due to shit like this before. Like transparent connections happening when they are not surfing when connected to an ISDN router which connects when any packet that is non-local causes a router to connect. I know that this can (and is) fixed on the router with better access lists, but the packets themselves come from crappy Microsoft things like MSN Messenger trying to auto-connect at boot and various SMB packets.

It's time that the Internet was a separate part of the desktop. Plenty of people embrace the Internet, but many others will not, especially in countries where it is still expensive just to stay online an hour costs me $2. That's right, a crappy 33.6K connection costs me $2 due solely to phone connection charges.

Surprised? No. Opportunity? Yes.

[pryan]

Obviously this isn't surprising. You have information Microsoft could possibly sell, and it is certainly information they can use. Of course they're gonna try to get it, and try to keep it quiet. This is happening more and more often, and it's everyone, not just Microsoft.

I do use XP, mostly as a gaming platform, but I use Mozilla, and when I'm not playing games often I am running Linux on the same box. This doesn't have me worried one bit. Some people are gonna get all in a twist about this, but this is just a small step towards the ultimate goal: human batteries. :)

This does make me wonder, however, since Microsoft is causing bandwidth to be used on my network for activities I have not expressly envoked, can I charge them for use of my connection?

I say, charge them for use of my bandwidth. They won't get it free out of me. I just wonder where do I send my bill..

What a non story! A waste of space!

[nmg196]

This is stupid. Why are people being so paranoid? Of course a search engine needs to know what you're searching on! You reckon Google doesn't log what you searched on? Or your IP? Of course it does... Stats are valuable - even if you don't sell them to anyone. The Register is known for spamming it's own front page with poorly written "non-event" news stories written by poorly informed editors feasting on hype from other news sites.

I'm disappointed in any slashdot editor who thinks we need these stupid articles pointed out to us.

Nick...

Isolation and Culture

[Observer]

The writer makes the point at the end that it's not so much what is being done that is the problem, but the fact that it's done without telling you and without giving you a choice about whether you want it to happen.

To which I'd add, it also shows a problem with the culture in the organisation that makes the stuff. It's not so much arrogance, but something more akin to carelessness: an inability to appreciate that other people - including some of your customers - may have different criteria and preferences than yours. I personally doubt whether the people who developed this even thought to ask themselves whether this behaviour would be considered reasonable, nor that it was ever considered in any formal reviews that may have taken place. And it's far from the first time that I've got that impression about MS: their use of that reserved field in the Kerboros protocol feels similar: not so much malicious as just a failure to know and appreciate the etiquette that had grown up in an area that they were entering for the first time.

RTFA

[evilviper]

Would you all kindly read the damn article before you start your ranting.

It all boils down to the fact that when you use the file search tool, it connects you to the internet and downloads a privacy policy type of file.

That's it, the end. Period.

When you are on the internet and perform a web search through XP, they log what you searched for... Even google does this for purposes of finding the most popular sites, and creating a table of the most popular searches and all that. This subject is not only trivial, but misleading in the context of the article... They quickly switch from talking about an offline file search which downloads a single text file when you first use it, to a completely different subject of a search tool recording what you searched for.

Of course, the ironic thing being that this web search tracking is no worse than the Netscape 6 tracking discussed a short while ago.

And if you haven't heard it enough so far, local file searches download a single damn file when you first use it. May seem a stupid thing to do, but it's not phoning home, it's not tracking your habbits, etc.

Start thinking

[gotan]

Hey, it only downloads a file, so let's stop thinking now. There are some things bothering me here though, but maybe you can help me with it, so i can soon embrace blissfull ignorance again:

Do the other downloaded files alter the system behaviour in any way? They're providing information connecting file-extensions to file-types at least, and that might have some impact on a windows system. And if they don't do anything at all, why download them? Maybe i'm using a special app with uncommon file-extensions and took some pains upon me to make the system recognize them. Will that work be undone with every search query?

Then "downloading" is not a onesided action. To download a file i have to establish an internet connection, and in that process all kind of information is transmitted, not just the ip. I don't think someone concerned with network security of some larger corporation would be too happy about all their desktop machines sending out packets announcing their ip, the number of hops to them and the type of their operating system beyond the firewall to a specific location without need. Also why should anyone trust Microsoft not to collect all that ip-addresses to compile a nice list of windows-XP installations, maybe to set up a BSA-raid?

And finally: Why do such a "stupid thing" as downloading a privacy statement for an action that can be performed locally? Just to get some load on Microsofts server? Microsoft is paying for that bandwith, so why put extra load on it? Well, maybe someday in the future Microsoft will quietly decide to change their privacy policy and start collecting information about your local/intranet searches. But there's no need for you to know that. Only your Operating System needs to know.