Jul. 2007 - Statement Regarding Microsoft's "New and Improved" Privacy Policy
Statement from
Center for Digital Democracy
Regarding
Microsoft's New and "Improved" Privacy Policy
Last
November, the Center for Digital Democracy and the US Public Interest
Research Group filed a complaint at the Federal Trade Commission urging
swift action to address significant unfair and deceptive interactive
marketing practises. We singled out Microsoft in particular because of
its wide-range of data collection and targeting applications based on
its new adCenter.
Today's
announcement from Microsoft acknowledges that consumers were not
previously protected online by its own corporate policy. While
Microsoft is taking a step in the right direction, the updated policy
is insufficient in terms of adequately protecting the personal
information of online users. The online marketing industry needs to
embrace an opt-in regime where no information can be collected without
both full disclosure as well as affirmative and meaningful consent from
users. The FTC and Congress must step in to protect consumers' rights
online, enacting national legislation which protects personal privacy
in the broadband era.
"The
online marketplace deserves more than piecemeal privacy policies" said
executive director, Jeffrey Chester. "We need privacy laws, not
private, corporate promises."