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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."
Sadly the two posters above me haven't read the article properly.
8 359 for a good comment on that subject.
True, when searching local files and intranet, nothing about that search is sent to Microsoft.
Now, I haven't used XP, so I don't know how the Search Assistant works, but apparently you can tell it NOT to use MSN for searches, but something like Google. I don't mind Google collecting info about my searches, but I do mind when Microsoft collects info about my searches on Google - that's simply none of their business.
As a poster above me mentioned, many people in Europe have to pay for the call-time they use when surfing. Why should they have to pay a minimum of 5 cents to their ISP, just to search their own harddrive? I can't think of a single good reason for that.
Read this post: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=30967&cid=332
The privacy statement for Search Assistant has the following provisions, which is what I base some of my arguments on:
http://sa.windows.com/privacy/
"No information is ever collected by Search Companion when you search your local system, LAN, or intranet for any reason."
"When you search the Internet using the Search Companion, the following information is collected regarding your use of the service: your IP address, the text of your Internet search query, grammatical information about the query, the list of tasks which the Search Companion Web service recommends, and any tasks you select from the recommendation list."
"Search Companion does not record your choice of Internet search engine, and does not collect or request any personal or demographic information. Information collected by the Search Companion cannot be used to identify you individually, and is never used in conjunction with other data sources that may contain personal data."
Now, like I said, I don't use XP, I don't know how Search Assistant works, and I probably wouldn't even use it, but it's still a bad thing to do for two reasons:
1) Making people pay their ISP/phone company to search their local harddrives.
2) IF I can make Search Assistant use another search engine (like Google), it's none of Microsofts business what I search for. If I can't use another search engine, then obviously Microsoft has to know what I'm searching for.
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
IANAL, however this probably illegal under UK (& EU) Law.
In the UK we have the Data Protection Act, which states that a Company may not share personal data with others, without the Data Subjects permission. They may not send Personal Data abroad, unless the data is equally protected 'abroad'.
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980029.h
The Data Protection Act comes from EU treaty obligations so similar laws exist throughout the EU.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/me
We need a UK XP licensee to complain the the Data Protection Registra, I not a XP user so I'm not in a position to complain.
http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk/