DailyTech - EU Investigates Microsoft for Policy Changes in Hotmail, Bing

Submit News

Internet EU Investigates Microsoft for Policy Changes in Hotmail, Bing
Tiffany Kaiser - December 19, 2012 4:29 PM

16 comment(s) - last by Beenthere.. on Dec 20 at 5:00 PM

(Source: redmond.slythefox.com)

Microsoft made the policy changes on October 19

Microsoft just can't catch a break from the European Commission.

The EU now plans to investigate the tech giant's recent policy changes and how they may affect the privacy of its users. The policy changes were in regards to Microsoft's Internet services like Bing and Hotmail.

According to EU privacy regulators, Microsoft's Internet products will be formally reviewed to make sure that the policy changes meet European standards and allow users a choice of different services.

The EU wrote a letter to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Microsoft Luxembourg letting the company know about the upcoming review:

“Given the wide range of services you offer, and popularity of these services, changes in your Services Agreement and the linked Privacy Policy may affect many individuals in most or all of the EU member states,” wrote Jacob Kohnstamm, who leads the association of EU data protection commissioners.

Microsoft made the policy changes on October 19.

The EU has been after Microsoft for years now, and for various reasons. It started in March 2004 when a European Commission high court found the company guilty of using tactics to freeze out its competitors in the media player and server software markets. It was fined $690 million.

Back in 2008, the EU fined Microsoft $1.4 billion for refusing to comply during its legal feud with the EU between July 2006 and October 2007. Microsoft was charged $3.83 million a day for each day of non-compliance.

Jumping ahead one year to 2009, the EU went after Microsoft again for tying Internet Explorer to Windows, and by doing so, Microsoft is "stealing" a unique and unfair advantage.

The EU has been on top of Microsoft throughout this year as well, with most problems stemming from browser choices in Windows 7 and more browser issues with Windows RT.

Source: Bloomberg

Comments

Threshold

Username
Password
remember me

This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled

RE: Stop doing business there

By StevoLincolnite on 12/19/2012 9:03:32 PM , Rating: 1

quote:
Let's develop our own software industry, it is time to get rid of American dominance in that field.

Getting rid of Microsoft and Apple and using Linux won't solve this particular issue.
The Linux kernel was originally written by Linus Torvalds. - Who funnily enough, is American. (Albeit of finnish decent, but most American's have descended from somewhere.)

Parent

RE: Stop doing business there

By faust_67 on 12/19/2012 11:37:49 PM , Rating: 2

Well actually my point was beyond getting rid of American dominance in software. I should have been more clear. My real concern is being locked into a closed system as those offered by Microsoft or Apple. I am a user of Linux (but forced to use Windows at work :( ) and I think its openness is a drive for innovation and freedom. I have no problem with Linus Torvalds being a US citizen (I am myself a Frenchman married to a US citizen and living in Florida for 10 years), so it is not a question of national proud. I would just appreciate some more developments coming from Europe, Asia, Africa, etc. and to do that I think open source like Linux (which is now far more than just the kernel) are a good starting point because you have access to valuable resources (which are not available with Windows or iOS). I hope my comment is clearer now.

Parent

RE: Stop doing business there

By kmmatney on 12/20/2012 2:45:38 AM , Rating: 2

Well, there is Google chrome now (another U.S. company...). If that can't gain a foothold as another viable OS, it's hard to imagine anything else breaking through.

Parent

RE: Stop doing business there

By maugrimtr on 12/20/2012 8:39:31 AM , Rating: 2

Linux became a US Citizen in 2010 - so American dominance in software, via Linux, is fairly minimal ;). In any case, being open source, Linux is the closest thing we have to a globally produced operating system.

Parent

RE: Stop doing business there

By ElConquistador on 12/19/2012 11:55:35 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
Linus Torvalds. - Who funnily enough, is American. (Albeit of finnish decent, but most American's have descended from somewhere.)

Oh, really? AFAIK, Linus Torvalds was born in Finland, and lived there for the first 24 years of his life. He only became an American citizen a couple of years ago.

Parent