Microsoft Updates Terms of Use for Better Privacy

Microsoft recently sent out an email notifying its Service users of changes to the Terms of Use and Privacy policy. In the email, Microsoft says that the needs of the users is at the center of everything they do, and as a result they are trying to increase levels of trust with their users.

The email highlighted three key areas where their Terms of Use and Privacy statements are changing:

• Privacy — As part of our ongoing commitment to respecting your privacy, we have updated the Microsoft Services Agreement to state that we do not use what you say in email, chat, video calls, or voice mail to target advertising to you. Nor do we use your documents, photos, or other personal files to target advertising to you.
• Transparency — We want our guidelines for use to be very clear, so we have moved the Code of Conduct into the Microsoft Services Agreement and updated it with easy-to-understand guidelines that clearly identify what behaviors could result in an action being taken on your Microsoft account. We’ve also added section 1.5, which states that parents are responsible for Microsoft account and Services usage by their minor children, including any purchases.
• Simplicity — We tailor our privacy statements for each of our products to help make it easier to find the information that’s important to you.

This Microsoft Services Agreement update, due to take effect from 31 July 2014, refers to all users with Microsoft accounts, including Outlook.com, OneDrive, XBOX, and Bing. Microsoft suggests that users will automatically agree to the update if they continue to use their services after the aforementioned date.

It seems at least Microsoft is trying, what’s that I hear you say… very trying! 🙂

You can check out the updated Privacy Policy here: Windows Services Privacy Statement, the updated Services Agreement here: Microsoft Services Agreement, and a FAQ on the changes here: Microsoft Services Agreement FAQ.