Microsoft Services Agreement changed

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by TheWindBringeth, Sep 3, 2012.

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  1. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

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    A brief article at The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/03/microsoft_hotmail_terms_update/) draws attention to recent changes in the Microsoft Services Agreement including this:

    That may telegraph broader use of user content. From the new agreement (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/microsoft-services-agreement)...

    More:
    Microsoft Raises Privacy Issues With Tweaked TOS
    http://www.pcworld.com/article/261849/microsoft_raises_privacy_issues_with_tweaked_tos.html

    How Microsoft’s Terms of Service changes impact your rights
    http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/31/microsoft-tos-changes-rights/
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2012
  2. culla

    culla Registered Member

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    i got notification email of this but decided to class it as SPAM :D
     
  3. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    And, people still say vampires don't exist. :D They exist, and they're everywhere. :argh:
     
  4. zfactor

    zfactor Registered Member

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    which is why i never have and never will use those services. ill keep my content out of their hands thank you very much. and the day they decide to do this to windows officially will be the last day i use windows.
     
  5. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

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    What qualifies as "do this to Windows"? I believe Microsoft receives a certain amount of information from Windows machines via update/metrics. Microsoft is also receiving a massive amount of information via SmartScreen. I don't know all of the ways which Windows 8 is designed to couple users more tightly to Microsoft's cloud/database, but it seems certain to me that Metro aka Modern UI apps will increase coupling.

    For purposes of discussion it would be reasonable to drill down into things and try to distinguish between access to pure/inner user content vs access to other types of information such as information about the programs you use, which websites you visit, etc. Many here but relatively few in general have the skills to actually look at things in such detail let alone erect protection mechanisms that create solid walls where they want it to be. From my perspective, things have reached a point where I feel I need a full-time SSL MITM capable filtering proxy between my modem and router in order to block some of the piggy back stuff.

    There is also the indirect threat. For example, you can't protect yourself against a Microsoft or Google or Facebook or <...> unless you cut off those entities *and* your communication and content sharing with those who use the services provided by such entities. Perhaps some saw the recent articles about Google's patent pertaining to identifying objects in pictures. They are all working on advanced mining techniques so we're sort of at the point where you can't even email a picture to an arbitrary friend or a document to an arbitrary company without running the risk that it will be mined by *their* email, antispam, cloud storage, antivirus, whatever provider. Such changes to service agreements can and do affect us all.

    Mighty, mighty tough environment.
     
  6. zfactor

    zfactor Registered Member

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    if they get any info it would be through updates only from me. smartscreen is turned off and i dont use ie AT ALL. i also do not use defender nor uac or windows firewall. this is a great example of why aftermarket companies rule in this regard. also run a edited host file to block many other things.

    i personally at this time will also not be going to win 8 until things with the info being sent get figured out and are brought out into the open which will happen soon enough im sure.
     
  7. stapp

    stapp Global Moderator

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  8. culla

    culla Registered Member

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