IP: are marketing people as dense as they look? YES THEY ARE -- djf

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Clearly the Windows remover software application is called for  djf


------ Forwarded Message
From: Richard Jay Solomon <rsolomon () dsl cis upenn edu>
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 17:19:06 -0500
To: farber () cis upenn edu (David Farber)
Subject: are marketing people as dense as they look?

February 20, 2002

Microsoft Program Tracks User Info
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 4:36 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Microsoft (news/quote)'s new version of its popular Media
Player software is logging the songs and movies that customers play.

The company said Wednesday it was changing its privacy statement to notify
customers about the technology after inquiries from The Associated Press.

The system creates a list on each computer that could be a treasure for
marketing companies, lawyers, or others. Microsoft says it has no plans to
sell the data collected by Media Player 8, which comes free with the Windows
XP operating system.

``If you're watching DVDs you don't want your wife to know about, you might
not want to give her your password,'' said David Caulton, Microsoft's lead
program manager for Windows Media.

The new privacy policy was issued Wednesday.

The media player has been bundled as a free addition to Windows for several
years and allows users to play music CDs, DVD movies and digitally stored
songs on their computers.

When a CD is played, the player downloads the disc name and titles for each
song from a Web site licensed by Microsoft. That information is stored on a
small file on each computer in the latest version of the software.

The new version released with Windows XP last fall also added the same
technology for DVD movies.

Microsoft's original privacy statement informed customers that they were
downloading the information about CDs but never stated it was being stored
in a log file on each computer.

The new statement makes clear that information is being downloaded for both
DVDs and CDs, but does not explain how users can eliminate or get into the
log file.

``It definitely could have been clearer and more specific about DVDs,''
Caulton said.

As part of downloading the information about songs and movies from the Web
site, the program also transmits an identifier number unique to each user on
the computer. That creates the possibility that user habits could be tracked
and sold for marketing purposes.

Privacy experts said they feared the log file could be used by
investigators, divorce lawyers, snooping family members, marketing companies
or others interested in learning about a person's entertainment habits. It
also could be used to make sure users have paid for the music or movie, and
have not made an illegal copy.

``The big picture might be the owners of intellectual property wanting to
track access to their property,'' said Peter Swire, a law professor at Ohio
State University.

Microsoft said the program creates the log file so a user does not have to
download repeatedly the same track, album or movie information. The company
said the ID number was created simply to allow Media Players users to have a
personal account on the Web site dealing with the software.

Neither is sold or shared with others, and no information is collected on
Microsoft's servers that would be personally identifiable, officials said.

``This is essentially a case where it (the ID) doesn't serve any purpose and
it isn't used,'' Caulton said.

Jonathan Usher, another Windows Media executive, said Microsoft has no plans
to market aggregate information about its customers' viewing habits, but
would not rule it out.

``If users tell us that they want the ability to get recommendations, that's
something we could look into on the behalf of users,'' Usher said.

In a recent memo, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates ordered his company to check
for privacy and security concerns before adding new features.

``Users should be in control of how their data is used,'' Gates wrote.
``Policies for information use should be clear to the user. Users should be
in control of when and if they receive information to make best use of their
time.''

Privacy researcher Richard Smith, who researched how Media Player stored and
transmitted the information, questioned why the program has to give chapter
information for DVDs at all because almost all discs have chapter listings
in an interactive menu within the movie.

He said the feature seems to conflict with Gates' directive.

``You can really see the Microsoft culture coming through that Gates wants
to change. These guys are digging in their heels,'' he said.
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Copyright 2002 The Associated Press | Privacy Information


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