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Microsoft Search Advertisers Get Personal

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the blurring-the-lines dept.

Alascom writes "According to this AP report, Microsoft is raising privacy concerns by allowing search advertisers to use personal information. Yusuf Mehdi, a corporate vice president with the MSN unit, said Microsoft has gathered this personal information by tracking users who have logged into its Hotmail e-mail program or other Microsoft Web sites in order to allow advertisers to target their ads to a specific audience."

6 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Welcome to the Future by cybrthng · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And you don't think this happens anywhere else? Read the TOS of Google, Yahoo and many other websites you visit.

  2. Re:Good by ack154 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why would I have any incentive to move from Google anyways? They bring nothing new to the table that I'm interested in.

  3. Not really personal information... by TheNecromancer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From the article:
    Microsoft's paid search platform will provide detailed -- but not personally identifiable -- information, such as gender, age and location, for many people who use its search engine, allowing advertisers to target their ads to a specific audience.

    Notice they aren't releasing any information (like your name, etc.) that would explicitly identify the person to the advertisers.

    I don't see a real problem with privacy here, it just looks like generalized demographic info that is useful to the advertisers.

    --
    Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control! - Neil Peart
  4. Privacy Schmivacy by Ridgelift · · Score: 4, Insightful

    FTA: "Microsoft's paid search platform will provide detailed -- but not personally identifiable -- information, such as gender, age and location, for many people who use its search engine, allowing advertisers to target their ads to a specific audience."

    Yeah, right. You target an ad to a person, they respond, and now you've got their age, location, etc. Once again the rights of the corporation outweight the rights of the individual.

    --
    Ruby on Rails Screencast
  5. You expected privacy? by catdevnull · · Score: 4, Insightful

    OK, you signed up to use "free" e-mail from the largest corporate player known for it's less-than-ethical tactics and you expected to get something for nothing from Microsoft? Yikes, people. I refused from the get go. My gut said it was a gimmick.

    Nothing is ever free from a corporation--they've got people studying consumers to find out how to make a buck off of them. That's no conspiracy theory--it's just corporate life. That's why I work at an .EDU. [That and I'm a bit of a masochist].

    --

    I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
  6. And? by tomstdenis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How can you expect privacy when you're giving your info to another person?

    Microsoft didn't force you to login to hotmail. And the fact that you happen to have private information there is your own damn fault.

    It would be different if your ISP was giving out your emails or other details since you pay them for the service...

    And you really don't think Google isn't laughing at the stock of "private" information stored in their gmail archives?

    Tom

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