Updated 14 Feb, 2012, 12:57 pm IST

Microsoft Announces New Privacy Policy

23 Jul, 2007, 1:21 pm IST | Priyanka Pradhan |

Close on the heels of Google's boost in privacy features for its search engine users, Microsoft has announced an enhanced set of privacy principles for Live Search and online advertising data collection, on use and protection.

According to Microsoft, the principles outline new, enhanced steps to help protect the privacy of Microsoft Windows Live users, including making search query data anonymous after 18 months by permanently removing cookie IDs, the entire IP address and other identifiers from search terms. Microsoft says it will also work to give customers more control over what information it uses to personalize their online search experience. In connection with its efforts to support a common industry approach to privacy issues, Microsoft also announced that it will join the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) later this year when it begins to offer third-party ad serving broadly.

Peter Cullen, chief privacy strategist at Microsoft said, "We have been thinking deeply about privacy related to search and online advertising and believe it is critical to evolve our privacy principles. We believe our enhanced principles should be part of the industry dialogue on this issue and that keeping these issues as simple as possible for consumers is the best approach. For instance, on search data, anonymous should mean anonymous."

According to the new policy, Microsoft will now offer and update its 'User Notice' in terms of the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement for better transparency. The company will also develop new user controls that aim to enhance privacy, such as letting people search and surf its sites without being associated with a personal and unique identifier used for behavioral ad targeting, and allowing signed-in users to control the personalization of the services they receive. Also, Microsoft will make all Live Search query data anonymous after 18 months, unless the company receives user consent for a longer time period. This policy will apply retroactively and worldwide, and will include permanently removing the entirety of the IP address and all other cross-session identifiers, such as cookie IDs and other machine identifiers, from the search terms

More information, including the full text of Microsoft's enhanced privacy principles for Live Search and online ad targeting, is available here.

Tens of thousands of protesters took part in rallies across Europe on Saturday against an international anti-piracy agreement they fear will curb their freedom