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Privacy Policy.txt
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Privacy Policy.txt
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Microsoft Privacy StatementLast Updated: October 2017 What's new? <i>
</i>Expand All<i>
</i>Collapse AllPrint<p>Your privacy is important to us.
This privacy statement explains what personal data Microsoft collects from you, through our interactions with you and through our products, and how we use that data.</p>
<p>Microsoft offers a wide range of products, from server products used to help operate enterprises worldwide, devices you use in your home, software students use at school, and services developers use to create and host what’s next.
References to Microsoft products in this statement include Microsoft services, websites, apps, software, servers and devices.</p>
<p>Please read the product-specific details in this privacy statement, which provide additional information about some of Microsoft products.
This statement applies to Microsoft’s interactions with you and the Microsoft products listed below, as well as other Microsoft products that display this statement.</p>
<p>The most recent version of this privacy statement can be found at aka.ms/privacy.</p>Personal Data We CollectHow We Use Personal DataReasons We Share Personal DataHow to Access &.
Control Your Personal DataCookies &.
Similar TechnologiesNotice to End UsersMicrosoft accountOther Important Privacy Information<i>
</i>Security of Personal DataWhere We Store and Process Personal DataOur Retention of Personal DataCollection of Data From ChildrenPreview or Free of Charge ReleasesChanges to This Privacy StatementHow to Contact UsProduct-specific details:Enterprise &.
Developer Products<i>
</i>Enterprise Online ServicesEnterprise and Developer Software and AppliancesCognitive ServicesProductivity &.
Communications Products<i>
</i>OfficeOneDriveOutlookSkypeSearch &.
Artificial Intelligence<i>
</i>BingCortanaMicrosoft TranslatorSwiftKeyWindows<i>
</i>ActivationAdvertising IDDiagnosticsLocation Services, Motion Sensing, &.
RecordingSecurity and Safety FeaturesSpeech, Inking and TypingSync SettingsUpdate ServicesWeb Browsers: Microsoft Edge and Internet ExplorerWi-Fi Connecting to suggested open hotspotsWindows AppsWindows Media PlayerWindows HelloWindows SearchEntertainment and Related Services<i>
</i>XboxMicrosoft StoreMSNGroove Music/Movies &.
TVSilverlightMicrosoft Health Services<i>
</i>Health ServicesHealthVaultCookies<p>Most Microsoft Sites use "cookies," small text files that can be read by a web server in the domain that put the cookie on your hard drive.
We may use cookies to store your preferences and settings.
help with sign-in.
provide targeted ads.
and analyze site operations.
Click here to learn more.</p>EU-U.S.
&.
Swiss-U.S.
Privacy Shield<p>Microsoft adheres to the principles of the EU-U.S.
and Swiss-U.S.
Privacy Shield frameworks.
To learn more, Click here.</p>Personal Data We CollectPersonal Data We Collect<p>Microsoft collects data to operate effectively and provide you the best experiences with our products.
You provide some of this data directly, such as when you create a Microsoft account, administer your organization’s licensing account, submit a search query to Bing, register for a Microsoft event, speak a voice command to Cortana, upload a document to OneDrive, purchase an MSDN subscription, sign up for Office 365, or contact us for support.
We get some of it by recording how you interact with our products by, for example, using technologies like cookies, and receiving error reports or usage data from software running on your device.
We also obtain data from third parties.</p>
<p> Microsoft collects data to operate effectively and provide you the best experiences with our products.
You provide some of this data directly, such as when you create a Microsoft account, administer your organization’s licensing account, submit a search query to Bing, register for a Microsoft event, speak a voice command to Cortana, upload a document to OneDrive, purchase an MSDN subscription, sign up for Office 365, or contact us for support.
We get some of it by recording how you interact with our products by, for example, using technologies like cookies, and receiving error reports or usage data from software running on your device.
</p>
<p> We also obtain data from third parties.
We protect data obtained from third parties according to the practices described in this statement, plus any additional restrictions imposed by the source of the data.
These third-party sources vary over time, but have included:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Data brokers from which we purchase demographic data to supplement the data we collect.</li>
<li>Social networks when you grant permission to a Microsoft product to access your data on one or more networks.</li>
<li>Service providers that help us determine a location based on your IP address in order to customize certain products to your location.</li>
<li>Partners with which we offer co-branded services or engage in joint marketing activities, and</li>
<li>Publicly-available sources such as open government databases or other data in the public domain.</li>
</ul>
<p>You have choices about the data we collect.
When you are asked to provide personal data, you may decline.
But if you choose not to provide data that is necessary to provide a product or feature, you may not be able to use that product or feature.</p>
<p>The data we collect depends on the context of your interactions with Microsoft, the choices you make, including your privacy settings, and the products and features you use.
The data we collect can include the following:</p>
<p>
<strong>Name and contact data</strong>.
We collect your first and last name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other similar contact data.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Credentials</strong>.
We collect passwords, password hints, and similar security information used for authentication and account access.</p>
<p>
<strong>Demographic data</strong>.
We collect data about you such as your age, gender, country, and preferred language.</p>
<p>
<strong>Payment data</strong>.
We collect data necessary to process your payment if you make purchases, such as your payment instrument number (such as a credit card number), and the security code associated with your payment instrument.</p>
<p>
<strong>Device and Usage data</strong>.
We collect data about your device and how you and your device interact with Microsoft and our products.
For example, we collect:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<em>Product use data</em>.
We collect data about the features you use, the items you purchase, and the web pages you visit.
This data includes your voice and text search queries or commands to Bing, Cortana, and our chat bots.
This also includes the settings you select and the software configurations your use most.</li>
<li>
<em>Device, connectivity and configuration data</em>.
We collect data about your device and the network you use to connect to our products.
It includes data about the operating systems and other software installed on your device, including product keys.
It also includes IP address, device identifiers (such as the IMEI number for phones), regional and language settings.</li>
<li>
<em>Error reports and performance data</em>.
We collect data about the performance of the products and any problems you experience with them.
This data helps us to diagnose problems in the products you use, and to improve our products and provide solutions.
Depending on your product and settings, error reports (sometimes called “crash dumps”) can include data such as the type or severity of the problem, details of the software or hardware related to an error, contents of files you were using when an error occurred, and data about other software on your device.</li>
<li>
<em>Troubleshooting and Help Data</em>.
When you engage Microsoft for troubleshooting and help, we collect data about you and your hardware, software, and other details related to the incident.
Such data includes contact or authentication data, the content of your chats and other communications with Microsoft, data about the condition of the machine and the application when the fault occurred and during diagnostics, and system and registry data about software installations and hardware configurations.</li>
</ul>
<p>
<strong>Interests and favorites</strong>.
We collect data about your interests and favorites, such as the teams you follow in a sports app, the programming languages you prefer, the stocks you track in a finance app, or the favorite cities you add to a weather app.
In addition to those you explicitly provide, your interests and favorites may also be inferred or derived from other data we collect.</p>
<p>
<strong>Contacts and relationships</strong>.
We collect data about your contacts and relationships if you use a Microsoft product to manage contacts, for example Outlook.com, or to communicate or interact with other people or organizations, for example Visual Studio Team Services.</p>
<p>
<strong>Location data</strong>.
For products with location-enhanced features, we collect data about your location, which can be either precise or imprecise.
Precise location data can be Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data (e.g., GPS), as well as data identifying nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots, we collect when you enable location-based products or features.
Imprecise location data includes, for example, a location derived from your IP address or data that indicates where you are located with less precision, such as at a city or postal code level.</p>
<p>
<strong>Content</strong>.
We collect content of your files and communications when necessary to provide you with the products you use.
For example, if you transmit a file using Skype to another Skype user, we need to collect the content of that file to display it to you and the other user as you direct.
If you receive an email using Outlook.com, we need to collect the content of that email to deliver it to your inbox, display it to you, enable you to reply to it, and store it for you until you choose to delete it.
Other data we collect to provide communication services to you include the:</p>
<ul>
<li>subject line and body of an email,</li>
<li>text or other content of an instant message,</li>
<li>audio and video recording of a video message, and</li>
<li>audio recording and transcript of a voice message you receive or a text message you dictate.</li>
</ul>
<p>
<strong>Video</strong>.
If you enter Microsoft Store locations or other facilities, or attend a Microsoft event, your image may be captured by our security cameras.</p>
<p>If you use Spend, at your direction, we may also collect payment card information, receipt data, or financial transaction data, to provide the service.</p>
<p>If you use Enterprise Online Services, Microsoft collects <strong>Customer Data</strong> (including content), <strong>Support Data</strong>, and <strong>Administrator Data</strong>, defined below in the Enterprise and Developer Products section.
</p>
<p>We also collect information you provide to us and the content of messages you send to us, such as feedback and product reviews you write, or questions and information you provide for customer support.
When you contact us, such as for customer support, phone conversations or chat sessions with our representatives may be monitored and recorded.</p>
<p>Product-specific sections below describe data collection practices applicable to use of those products.</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>How We Use Personal DataHow We Use Personal Data<p>Microsoft uses the data we collect to operate our business and provide you the products we offer, which includes using data to improve our products and personalize your experiences.
We also may use the data to communicate with you, for example, informing you about your account, security updates and product information.
And we use data to help show more relevant ads, whether in our own products supported by advertising like MSN and Bing, or in products offered by third parties.
However, we do not use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, or your documents, photos or other personal files to target ads to you.</p>
<p> Microsoft uses the data we collect for three basic purposes, described in more detail below: (1) to operate our business and provide (including improving and personalizing) the products we offer, (2) to send communications, including promotional communications, and (3) to show advertising, whether in our own products supported by advertising like MSN and Bing, or in products offered by third parties.
</p>
<p> In carrying out these purposes, we combine data we collect to give you a more seamless, consistent and personalized experience.
For example, Cortana can use the favorite sports teams you add to the Microsoft Sports app to provide information relevant to your interests, Microsoft Store can use information about the apps and services you use to make personalized app recommendations.
However, to enhance privacy, we have built in technological and procedural safeguards designed to prevent certain data combinations.
For example, we store data we collect from you when you are unauthenticated (not signed in) separately from any account information that directly identifies you, such as your name, email address or phone number.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Providing and improving our products</strong>.
We use data to provide and improve the products we offer and perform essential business operations.
This includes operating the products, maintaining and improving the performance of the products, developing new features, conducting research, and providing customer support.
Examples of such uses include the following:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Providing the Products</strong>.
We use data to carry out your transactions with us and to provide our products to you.
Often, those products include personalized features and recommendations that enhance your productivity and enjoyment, and automatically tailor your product experiences based on the data we have about your activities, interests and location.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Customer support</strong>.
We use data to diagnose product problems, repair customers' devices, and provide other customer care and support services.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Product activation</strong>.
We use data—such as device and application type, location, and unique device, application, network and subscription identifiers—to activate software and devices that require activation.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Product Improvement</strong>.
We use data to continually improve our products, including adding new features or capabilities.
For example, we use error reports to improve security features, search queries and clicks in Bing to improve the relevancy of the search results, usage data to determine what new features to prioritize, and audio recordings from voice input features to improve speech recognition accuracy.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Security, Safety and Dispute Resolution</strong>.
We use data to protect the security and safety of our products and our customers, to detect and prevent fraud, to confirm the validity of software licenses, to resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.
Our security features and products can disrupt the operation of malicious software and notify users if malicious software is found on their devices.
For example, some of our communications and file syncing products, such as Outlook or OneDrive, systematically scan content in an automated manner to identify suspected spam, viruses, abusive actions, or URLs that have been flagged as fraud, phishing or malware links.
and we may block delivery of a communication or remove content if it violates our terms.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Business Operations</strong>.
We use data to develop aggregate analysis and business intelligence that enable us to operate, protect, make informed decisions, and report on the performance of our business.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
<strong>Communications</strong>.
We use data we collect to communicate with you and personalize our communications with you.
For example, we may contact you by phone or email or other means to inform you when a subscription is ending, discuss your licensing account, let you know when security updates are available, remind you about items left in your online shopping cart, update you or inquire about a service or repair request, invite you to participate in a survey, or tell you that you need to take action to keep your account active.
Additionally, you can sign up for email subscriptions and choose whether you wish to receive promotional communications from Microsoft by email, SMS, physical mail, and telephone.
For information about managing your contact data, email subscriptions and promotional communications, please visit the Access and Controls section of this privacy statement.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Advertising</strong>.
Microsoft does not use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, or your documents, photos or other personal files to target ads to you.
</p>
<p>We use data we collect through our interactions with you, through some of our products and on third-party web properties, to show advertising.
For example:</p>
<ul>
<li> Microsoft may use your data to select and deliver some of the ads you see on Microsoft web properties, such as Microsoft.com, MSN and Bing.
</li>
<li> When the advertising ID is enabled in Windows 10 as part of your privacy settings, Microsoft apps can access and use the advertising ID (much the same way that websites can access and use a unique identifier stored in a cookie) to select and deliver ads in such apps.
</li>
<li> We may share data we collect with third parties, such as Oath, AppNexus, or Facebook (see below), so that they can select and deliver some of the ads you see in our products, their products, or other sites and apps serviced by these partners.
</li>
<li> Advertisers may choose to place our web beacons on their sites in order to allow Microsoft to collect information on their sites such as activities, purchases and visits.
we use this data on behalf of our advertising customers to help target their ads.
We also share data directly with service providers, such as Oath, AppNexus, or Facebook, to permit them to provide services on our behalf or to partner with us in selecting and serving ads for our advertising partners.
</li>
</ul>
<p> The ads that you see may be selected based on data we process about you, such as your interests and favorites, your location, your transactions, how you use our products, your search queries, or the content you view.
For example, if you view content on MSN about automobiles, we may show advertisements about cars.
if you search “pizza places in Seattle” on Bing, you may see advertisements in your search results for restaurants in Seattle.
</p>
<p> The ads that you see may also be selected based on other information learned about you over time using demographic data, location data, search queries, interests and favorites, usage data from our products and sites, as well as the sites and apps of our advertisers and partners.
We refer to these ads as "interest-based advertising" in this statement.
For example, if you view gaming content on xbox.com, you may see offers for games on MSN.
To provide interest-based advertising, we combine cookies placed on your device using information that we collect (such as IP address) when your browser interacts with our websites.
If you opt out of receiving interest-based advertising, data associated with these cookies will not be used.
</p>
<p> Further details regarding our advertising-related uses of data include:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Advertising Industry Best Practices and Commitments</strong>.
Microsoft is a member of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and adheres to the NAI Code of Conduct.
We also adhere to the following self-regulatory programs: <ul>
<li> In the US: Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)</li>
<li> In Europe: European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA)</li>
<li> In Canada: Ad Choices: Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) / Choix de Pub: l'Alliance de la publicité numérique du Canada (DAAC)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Health-Related Ad Targeting</strong>.
In the United States, we provide interest-based advertising based on a limited number of standard, non-sensitive health-related interest categories, including allergies, arthritis, cholesterol, cold and flu, diabetes, gastrointestinal health, headache / migraine, healthy eating, healthy heart, men’s health, oral health, osteoporosis, skin health, sleep, and vision / eye care.
We will also target ads based on custom, non-sensitive health-related interest categories as requested by advertisers.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Children and Advertising</strong>.
We do not deliver interest-based advertising to children whose birthdate in their Microsoft account identifies them as under 13 years of age.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Data Retention</strong>.
For interest-based advertising, we retain data for no more than 13 months, unless we obtain your consent to retain the data longer.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Data Sharing</strong>.
In some cases, we share with advertisers reports about the data we have collected on their sites or ads.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Data Collected by Other Advertising Companies</strong>.
Advertisers sometimes include their own web beacons (or those of their other advertising partners) within their advertisements that we display, enabling them to set and read their own cookie.
Additionally, Microsoft partners with third-party ad companies to help provide some of our advertising services, and we also allow other third-party ad companies to display advertisements on our sites.
These third parties may place cookies on your computer and collect data about your online activities across websites or online services.
These companies currently include, but are not limited to: A9, AppNexus, Criteo, Facebook, MediaMath, nugg.adAG, Oath, Rocket Fuel, Yahoo!.
You may find more information on each company's practices, including the choices it offers, by clicking on the company names above.
Many of them are also members of the NAI or DAA, which each provide a simple way to opt out of ad targeting from participating companies.
</li>
</ul>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>Reasons We Share Personal DataReasons We Share Personal Data<p>
We share your personal data with your consent or as necessary to complete any transaction or provide any product you have requested or authorized.
We also share data with Microsoft-controlled affiliates and subsidiaries.
with vendors working on our behalf.
when required by law or to respond to legal process.
to protect our customers.
to protect lives.
to maintain the security of our products.
and to protect the rights or property of Microsoft.
</p>
<p> We share your personal data with your consent or as necessary to complete any transaction or provide any product you have requested or authorized.
For example, we share your content with third parties when you tell us to do so, such as when you send an email to a friend, share photos and documents on OneDrive, or link accounts with another service.
When you provide payment data to make a purchase, we will share payment data with banks and other entities that process payment transactions or provide other financial services, and for fraud prevention and credit risk reduction.
</p>
<p> In addition, we share personal data among Microsoft-controlled affiliates and subsidiaries.
We also share personal data with vendors or agents working on our behalf for the purposes described in this statement.
For example, companies we've hired to provide customer service support or assist in protecting and securing our systems and services may need access to personal data to provide those functions.
In such cases, these companies must abide by our data privacy and security requirements and are not allowed to use personal data they receive from us for any other purpose.
We may also disclose personal data as part of a corporate transaction such as a merger or sale of assets.
</p>
<p> Finally, we will access, transfer, disclose, and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails in Outlook.com, or files in private folders on OneDrive), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to: </p>
<ol>
<li>comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, including from law enforcement or other government agencies.
</li>
<li>protect our customers, for example to prevent spam or attempts to defraud users of our products, or to help prevent the loss of life or serious injury of anyone.
</li>
<li>operate and maintain the security of our products, including to prevent or stop an attack on our computer systems or networks.
or </li>
<li>protect the rights or property of Microsoft, including enforcing the terms governing the use of the services - however, if we receive information indicating that someone is using our services to traffic in stolen intellectual or physical property of Microsoft, we will not inspect a customer's private content ourselves, but we may refer the matter to law enforcement.
</li>
</ol>
<p> For more information about data we disclose in response to requests from law enforcement and other government agencies, please see our Law Enforcement Transparency Report, available at microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/reporting/transparency.
</p>
<p> Please note that some of our products include links to products of third parties whose privacy practices differ from Microsoft's.
If you provide personal data to any of those products, your data is governed by their privacy statements.
</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>How to Access &.
Control Your Personal DataHow to Access &.
Control Your Personal Data<p>You can view, edit, or delete your personal data online for many Microsoft products.
You can also make choices about Microsoft's collection and use of your data.
How you can access or control your personal data will depend on which products you use.</p>
<p>You can always choose whether you wish to receive promotional email, SMS messages, telephone calls and postal mail from Microsoft.
You can also opt out from receiving interest-based advertising from Microsoft by visiting our opt-out page.
</p>
<p> You can view, edit, or delete your personal data online for many Microsoft products.
You can also make choices about Microsoft's collection and use of your data.
How you can access or control your personal data will depend on which products you use.
For example:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Microsoft privacy dashboard.</strong> You can see and control activity data across multiple Microsoft services on the Microsoft privacy dashboard at: account.microsoft.com/privacy.
From here, you can view, and clear browsing, search, and location data associated with your Microsoft account.
You can also manage data in your Cortana Notebook and Microsoft Health services.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC)</strong>.
From here, you can gain easy access to all your licensing information in one location.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Microsoft account</strong>.
If you wish to access, edit, or remove the profile information and payment information in your Microsoft account, change your password, add security information or close your account, you can do so by visiting account.microsoft.com.
From here, you can also access controls for other Microsoft products.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Skype</strong>.
If you wish to access edit or remove profile information and payment information in your Skype account or change your password, you can sign into your account at login.skype.com/login.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Xbox</strong>.
If you use Xbox Live or Xbox.com, you can view or edit your personal data, including billing and account information, privacy settings, online safety and data sharing preferences by accessing My Xbox on the Xbox console or on the Xbox.com website.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Microsoft Store</strong>.
You can access your Microsoft Store profile and account information by visiting www.microsoftstore.com/ and clicking on "View account" or "Order history." </li>
<li>
<strong>Microsoft.com</strong>.
You can access and update your profile on microsoft.com by visiting the Microsoft.com Profile Center.
</li>
<li> If you have a Microsoft Developer Network public profile, you can access and edit it at connect.microsoft.com/profile.aspx.
</li>
</ul>
<p> If you cannot access certain personal data collected by Microsoft via the links above or directly through the Microsoft products you use, you can always contact Microsoft by using our web form.
We will respond to requests to access or delete your personal data within 30 days.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Your Communications Preferences</strong>
</p>
<p> You can choose whether you wish to receive promotional communications from Microsoft by email, SMS, physical mail, and telephone.
If you receive promotional email or SMS messages from us and would like to opt out, you can do so by following the directions in that message.
You can also make choices about the receipt of promotional email, telephone calls, and postal mail by signing in with your personal Microsoft account, and viewing your communication permissions where you can update contact information, manage Microsoft-wide contact preferences, opt out of email subscriptions, and choose whether to share your contact information with Microsoft partners.
If you do not have a personal Microsoft account, you can manage your Microsoft email contact preferences by using this web form.
These choices do not apply to mandatory service communications that are part of certain Microsoft services, or to surveys or other informational communications that have their own unsubscribe method.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Your Advertising Choices</strong>
</p>
<p> You may opt out of receiving interest-based advertising from Microsoft by visiting our opt-out page.
When you opt out, your selection will be stored in a cookie that is specific to the web browser you are using.
The opt-out cookie has an expiration date of five years.
If you delete the cookies on your device, you will need to opt out again.
</p>
<p>You can also link your opt-out choice with your personal Microsoft account.
It will then apply on any device where you use that account, and will continue to apply until someone signs in with a different personal Microsoft account on that device.
If you delete the cookies on your device, you will need to sign in again for the settings to apply.</p>
<p> For advertising that appears in apps on Windows, you may use the opt-out linked to your personal Microsoft account, or opt out of interest-based advertising by turning off the advertising ID in Windows Settings.
</p>
<p> Because the data used for interest-based advertising is also used for other necessary purposes (including providing our products, analytics and fraud detection), opting out of interest-based advertising does not stop that data from being collected.
Nor does it mean you will stop getting ads or see fewer ads.
However, if you do opt out, the ads you receive will no longer be interest-based and may be less relevant to your interests.
</p>
<p> You can opt out of receiving interest-based advertising from third parties we partner with by visiting their sites (see above).
</p>
<p>
<strong>Browser-Based Controls</strong>
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Cookie Controls</strong>.
Relevant browser-based cookie controls are described in the Cookies section of this privacy statement.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Tracking Protection</strong>.
Internet Explorer (versions 9 and up) has a feature called Tracking Protection that will block third-party content, including cookies, from any site that is listed in a Tracking Protection List you add.
By limiting calls to these sites, the browser will limit the information these third-party sites can collect about you.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Browser Controls for "Do Not Track."</strong> Some browsers have incorporated "Do Not Track" (DNT) features that can send a signal to the websites you visit indicating you do not wish to be tracked.
Because there is not yet a common understanding of how to interpret the DNT signal, Microsoft services do not currently respond to browser DNT signals.
We continue to work with the online industry to define a common understanding of how to treat DNT signals.
In the meantime, you can use the range of other tools we provide to control data collection and use, including the ability to opt out of receiving interest-based advertising from Microsoft as described above.
</li>
</ul>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>Cookies &.
Similar TechnologiesCookies &.
Similar Technologies<p>Microsoft uses cookies (small text files placed on your device) and similar technologies to provide our websites and online services and to help collect data.
Cookies allow us, among other things, to store your preferences and settings.
enable you to sign-in.
provide interest-based advertising.
combat fraud.
and analyze how our websites and online services are performing.
Microsoft apps use other identifiers, such as the advertising ID in Windows described in the Windows section of this statement, for similar purposes.
</p>
<p>We also use web beacons to help deliver cookies and gather usage and performance data.
Our websites may include web beacons and cookies from third-party service providers.
</p>
<p>You have a variety of tools to control cookies, web beacons and similar technologies, including browser controls to block and delete cookies and controls from some third-party analytics service providers to opt out of data collection through web beacons and similar technologies.
Your browser and other choices may impact your experiences with our products.
</p>
<p> Microsoft uses cookies (small text files placed on your device) and similar technologies to provide our websites and online services and to help collect data.
The text in a cookie often consists of a string of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies your computer, but it can contain other information as well.
Microsoft apps use additional identifiers, such as the advertising ID in Windows, for similar purposes, and many of our websites and applications also contain web beacons or other similar technologies, as described below.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Our Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies</strong>
</p>
<p>Microsoft uses cookies and similar technologies for several purposes, depending on the product, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Storing your Preferences and Settings</strong>.
Settings that enable our products to operate correctly or that maintain your preferences over time may be stored on your device.
For example, if you enter your city or postal code to get local news or weather information on a Microsoft website, we may store that data in a cookie so that you will see the relevant local information when you return to the site.
We also save preferences, such as language, browser and multimedia player settings, so those do not have to be reset each time you return to the site.
If you opt out of interest-based advertising, we store your opt-out preference in a cookie on your device.</li>
<li>
<strong>Sign-in and Authentication</strong>.
When you sign into a website using your personal Microsoft account, we store a unique ID number, and the time you signed in, in an encrypted cookie on your device.
This cookie allows you to move from page to page within the site without having to sign in again on each page.
You can also save your sign-in information so you do not have to sign in each time you return to the site.</li>
<li>
<strong>Security</strong>.
We use cookies to detect fraud and abuse of our websites and services.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Storing Information you Provide to a Website</strong>.
When you provide information, or add products to a shopping cart when shopping on Microsoft websites, we store the data in a cookie to remember the products and information you have added.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Social Media</strong>.
Some of our websites include social media cookies, including those that enable users who are logged in to the social media service to share content via that service.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Feedback</strong>.
Microsoft uses cookies to enable you to provide feedback on a website.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Interest-Based Advertising</strong>.
Microsoft uses cookies to collect data about your online activity and identify your interests so that we can provide advertising that is most relevant to you.
You can opt out of receiving interest-based advertising from Microsoft as described in the Access and Control section of this privacy statement.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Showing Advertising</strong>.
Microsoft uses cookies to record how many visitors have clicked on an advertisement and to record which advertisements you have seen so you don’t see the same one repeatedly.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Analytics</strong>.
In order to provide our products, we use cookies and other identifiers to gather usage and performance data.
For example, we use cookies to count the number of unique visitors to a web page or service and to develop other statistics about the operations of our products.
This includes cookies from Microsoft and from third-party analytics providers.</li>
<li>
<strong>Performance</strong>.
Microsoft uses cookies for load balancing to ensure that websites remain up and running.
</li>
</ul>
<p> Some of the cookies we commonly use are listed below.
This list is not exhaustive, but it is intended to illustrate the main reasons we typically set cookies.
If you visit one of our websites, the site may set some or all of the following cookies:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>MUID, MC1 and MSFPC</strong> - Identifies unique web browsers visiting Microsoft sites.
These cookies are used for advertising, site analytics and other operational purposes.</li>
<li>
<strong>ANON</strong> - Contains the ANID, a unique identifier derived from your Microsoft account, which is used for advertising, personalization, and operational purposes.
It is also used to preserve your choice to opt out of interest-based advertising from Microsoft if you have chosen to associate the opt-out with your Microsoft account.</li>
<li>
<strong>CC</strong> - Contains a country code as determined from your IP address.</li>
<li>
<strong>PPAuth, MSPAuth, MSNRPSAuth, KievRPSAuth</strong> - Helps to authenticate you when you sign in with your Microsoft account.</li>
<li>
<strong>NAP</strong> - Contains an encrypted version of your country, postal code, age, gender, language and occupation, if known, based on your Microsoft account profile.</li>
<li>
<strong>MH</strong> - Appears on co-branded sites where Microsoft is partnering with an advertiser.
This cookie identifies the advertiser, so the right ad is selected.</li>
<li>
<strong>MR</strong> - Used to collect information for analytics purposes.</li>
<li>
<strong>TOptOut</strong> - Records your decision not to receive interest-based advertising delivered by Microsoft.</li>
</ul>
<p> In addition to the cookies Microsoft sets when you visit our websites, third parties may also set cookies when you visit Microsoft sites.
In some cases, that is because we have hired the third party to provide services on our behalf, such as site analytics.
In other cases, it is because our web pages contain content or ads from third parties, such as videos, news content or ads delivered by other ad networks.
Because your browser connects to those third parties' web servers to retrieve that content, those third parties are able to set or read their own cookies on your device and may collect information about your online activities across websites or online services.
</p>
<p>
<strong>How to Control Cookies</strong>
</p>
<p> Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but provide controls that allow you to block or delete them.
For example, in Microsoft Edge, you can block or delete cookies by clicking <strong>Settings >.
Privacy >.
Cookies.</strong> Instructions for blocking or deleting cookies in other browsers may be available in each browser's privacy or help documentation.
</p>
<p> Certain features of Microsoft products depend on cookies.
Please be aware that if you choose to block cookies, you may not be able to sign in or use those features, and preferences that are dependent on cookies may be lost.
If you choose to delete cookies, settings and preferences controlled by those cookies, including advertising preferences, will be deleted and may need to be recreated.
</p>
<p> Additional privacy controls that can impact cookies, including the Tracking Protection feature of Microsoft browsers, are described in the Access and Control section of this privacy statement.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Our Use of Web Beacons and Analytics Services</strong>
</p>
<p>Microsoft web pages may contain electronic images known as web beacons (also called single-pixel gifs) that we use to help deliver cookies on our websites, count users who have visited those websites and deliver co-branded products.
We also include web beacons in our promotional email messages or newsletters to determine whether you open and act on them.
</p>
<p>In addition to placing web beacons on our own websites, we sometimes work with other companies to place our web beacons on their websites or in their advertisements.
This helps us develop statistics on how often clicking on an advertisement on a Microsoft website results in a purchase or other action on the advertiser's website.
</p>
<p> Finally, Microsoft products often contain web beacons or similar technologies from third-party analytics providers, which help us compile aggregated statistics about the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns or other operations.
These technologies enable the analytics providers to set or read their own cookies or other identifiers on your device, through which they can collect information about your online activities across applications, websites or other products.
However, we prohibit these analytics providers from using web beacons on our sites to collect or access information that directly identifies you (such as your name or email address).
You can opt out of data collection or use by some of these analytics providers by clicking the following links:
</p>
<ul>
<li> AppsFlyer: www.appsflyer.com/optout</li>
<li> Flurry Analytics: https://aim.yahoo.com/aim/us/en/optout/</li>
<li> Google Analytics: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout (requires you to install a browser add-on) </li>
<li> Kissmetrics: kissmetrics.com/user-privacy</li>
<li> Mixpanel: mixpanel.com/optout</li>
<li> Nielsen: www.nielsen-online.com/corp.jsp?section=leg_prs&nav=1#Optoutchoices</li>
<li> Omniture (Adobe): www.d1.sc.omtrdc.net/optout.html</li>
<li> Visible Measures: www.visiblemeasures.com/viewer-settings-opt-out</li>
<li> WebTrends: ondemand.webtrends.com/support/optout.asp</li>
</ul>
<strong>Other Similar Technologies</strong>
<p> In addition to standard cookies and web beacons, our products can also use other similar technologies to store and read data files on your computer.
This is typically done to maintain your preferences or to improve speed and performance by storing certain files locally.
But, like standard cookies, these technologies can also be used to store a unique identifier for your computer, which can then be used to track behavior.
These technologies include Local Shared Objects (or "Flash cookies") and Silverlight Application Storage.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Local Shared Objects or "Flash cookies."</strong> Web sites that use Adobe Flash technologies can use Local Shared Objects or "Flash cookies" to store data on your computer.
To manage or block Flash cookies, go to www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Silverlight Application Storage.</strong> Web sites or applications that use Microsoft Silverlight technology also have the ability to store data by using Silverlight Application Storage.
To learn how to manage or block such storage, see the Silverlight section of this statement.
</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>Notice to End UsersNotice to End Users<p>Many Microsoft products are intended for use by organizations and are administered to you by your organization.
Your use of Microsoft products may be subject to your organization's policies, if any.
If your organization is administering your use of the Microsoft products, please direct your privacy inquiries to your administrator.
When you use social features of such products, other users in your network may see some of your activity.
To learn more about the social features and other functionality, please review documentation or help content specific to the Microsoft product.
Microsoft is not responsible for the privacy or security practices of our customers, which may differ from those set forth in this privacy statement.</p>
<p>If you use an email address provided by an organization you are affiliated with, such as an employer or school, to access Microsoft online services, the owner of the domain (e.g., your employer) associated with your email address may: (i) control and administer your Microsoft online services account and (ii) access and process your data, including the contents of your communications and files.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Microsoft accountMicrosoft account<p>With a Microsoft account, you can sign into Microsoft products, as well as those of select Microsoft Partners.
Signing into your account enables improved personalization, provides seamless and consistent experiences across products and devices, permits you to access and use cloud data storage, allows you to make payments using payment instruments stored in your Microsoft account, and enable other enhanced features and settings.</p>
<p>When you sign into your account to access a product, we create a record of that sign in.
If you sign into a third-party service with your Microsoft account, you will be asked to consent to share the account data required by that service.</p>
<p>With a Microsoft account, you can sign into Microsoft products, as well as those of select Microsoft partners.
When you create your own Microsoft account, we refer to that account as a personal Microsoft account.
When you sign into products that use Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) with an email address from your employer or school, we refer to that account as a work or school account.</p>
<p>
<strong>Creating and using your personal Microsoft account</strong>.
When you create a personal Microsoft account, you will be asked for certain personal data and we will assign a unique ID number to identify your account and associated information.
While some products, such as those involving payment, require a real name, you can sign into and use some Microsoft products without providing your real name.
Some data you provide, such as your display name, email address and phone number, can be used to help others find and connect with you within Microsoft products.
For example, people who know your display name, email address or phone number can use it to search for you on Skype and send you an invite to connect with them.
Note that if you use a work or school email address to create a personal Microsoft account, and your employer or school that issued that address begins managing that account with Azure Active Directory (AAD), you will need to update the email address associated with your personal Microsoft account in order to continue accessing Microsoft products that do not use AAD (such as Xbox Live).
</p>
<p>
<strong>Signing in</strong>.
When you sign into your Microsoft account, we create a record of your sign-in, which includes the date and time, information about the product you signed into, your sign-in name, the unique number assigned to your account, a unique identifier assigned to your device, your IP address, and your operating system and browser version.</p>
<p>
<strong>Signing into Microsoft</strong>.
Signing into your account enables improved personalization, provides seamless and consistent experiences across products and devices, permits you to access and use cloud data storage, allows you to make payments using payment instruments stored in your Microsoft account, and enables other enhanced features and settings.
When you sign into your account, you will stay signed in until you sign out.
If you add your Microsoft account to a Windows device (version 8 or higher), Windows will automatically sign you into products that use Microsoft account that you access on that device.
When you are signed in, some products will display your name or username and your profile photo (if you have added one to your profile) as part of your use of Microsoft products, including in your communications, social interactions and public posts.</p>
<p>
<strong>Signing into third-party products</strong>.
If you sign into a third-party product with your Microsoft account, you will be asked to consent to share the account data required by that product.
The third party will also receive the version number assigned to your account (a new version number is assigned each time you change your sign-in data).
and whether your account has been deactivated.
If you have consented to share your profile data, the third party may display your name or username and your profile photo (if you have added one to your profile) when you are signed in to that third-party product.
If you chose to make payments to third-party merchants using your Microsoft account, Microsoft will pass to the third party information stored in your Microsoft account necessary to process your payment and fulfill your order (such as name, credit card number, billing and shipping addresses, and relevant contact information).
The third party can use or share the data it receives when you sign in or make a purchase according to its own practices and policies.
<strong>You should carefully review the privacy statement for each product you sign into and each merchant you purchase from to determine how it will use the data it collects.</strong>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Personal Microsoft accounts received from third parties</strong>.
If you received your personal Microsoft account from a third party, like an Internet service provider, that third party may have rights over your account, including the ability to access or delete your Microsoft account.
<strong>You should carefully review any additional terms the third party provided you to understand what it can do with your account.</strong>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Using work or school accounts</strong>.
If your employer or school uses Azure Active Directory (AAD) to issue and manage the account it provides you, you can use your work or school account to sign into Microsoft products that use AAD (such as Office 365 or Skype for Business).
If required by your organization, you will also be asked to provide a phone number or an alternative email address for additional security verification.
If you sign into Microsoft products with a work or school account, the owner of the domain associated with your email address may control and administer your account, and access and process your data, including the contents of your communications and files.
Your use of the products may be subject to your organization's policies, if any.
Microsoft is not responsible for the privacy or security practices of these organizations, which may differ from those of Microsoft.
If your organization is administering your use of Microsoft products, please direct your privacy inquiries to your administrator.
See also, Notice to End Users.
</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>Other Important Privacy InformationOther Important Privacy Information<p>Below you will find additional privacy information you may find important.
You can also find more information on Microsoft's commitment to protecting your privacy at privacy.microsoft.com.
</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>Security of Personal DataSecurity of Personal Data<p>Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your personal data.
We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal data from unauthorized access, use or disclosure.
For example, we store the personal data you provide on computer systems that have limited access and are in controlled facilities.
When we transmit highly confidential data (such as a credit card number or password) over the Internet, we protect it through the use of encryption.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Where We Store and Process Personal DataWhere We Store and Process Personal Data<p>Personal data collected by Microsoft may be stored and processed in your region, in the United States or in any other country where Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries or service providers maintain facilities.
Microsoft maintains major data centers in the Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Typically, the primary storage location is in the customer’s region or in the United States, often with a backup to a data center in another region.
The storage location(s) are chosen in order to operate efficiently, to improve performance, and to create redundancies in order to protect the data in the event of an outage or other problem.
We take steps to ensure that the data we collect under this privacy statement is processed according to the provisions of this statement and the requirements of applicable law wherever the data is located.</p>
<p>We transfer personal data from the European Economic Area and Switzerland to other countries, some of which have not been determined by the European Commission to have an adequate level of data protection.
When we do, we use a variety of legal mechanisms, including contracts, to help ensure your rights and protections travel with your data.
To learn more about the European Commission’s decisions on the adequacy of the protection of personal data in the countries where Microsoft processes personal data, please visit: ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/international-transfers/adequacy/index_en.htm </p>
<p>Microsoft Corporation complies with the EU-U.S.
Privacy Shield Framework and Swiss-U.S.
Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S.
Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union and Switzerland to the United States.
Microsoft Corporation has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles.
If third-party agents process personal data on our behalf in a manner inconsistent with the principles of either Privacy Shield framework, we remain liable unless we prove we are not responsible for the event giving rise to the damage.
The controlled U.S.
subsidiaries of Microsoft Corporation, as identified in our self-certification submission and listed here, also adhere to the Privacy Shield Principles.
</p>
<p>If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern.
To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit www.privacyshield.gov.</p>
<p> If you have a question or complaint related to Microsoft’s participation in the EU-U.S.
or Swiss-U.S.
Privacy Shield, we encourage you to contact us via our web form.
For any complaints related to the Privacy Shield frameworks that cannot be resolved with Microsoft directly, we have chosen to cooperate with the relevant Data Protection Authority, or a panel established by the European DPAs for resolving disputes.
Please contact us to be directed to the relevant DPA contacts.
As further explained in the Privacy Shield Principles, binding arbitration is available to address residual complaints not resolved by other means.
Microsoft is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Our Retention of Personal DataOur Retention of Personal Data<p>Microsoft retains personal data for as long as necessary to provide the products and fulfill the transactions you have requested, or for other essential purposes such as complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements.
Because these needs can vary for different data types in the context of different products, actual retention periods can vary significantly.
The criteria used to determine the retention periods include:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<em>How long is the personal data needed to provide the products and operate our business?</em> This includes such things as maintaining and improving the performance of those products, keeping our systems secure, and maintaining appropriate business and financial records.
This is the general rule that establishes the baseline for most data retention periods.</li>
<li>
<em>Do customers provide, create, or maintain the data with the expectation we will retain it until they affirmatively remove it?</em> Examples include a document you store in OneDrive, or an email message you keep in your Outlook.com inbox.
In such cases, we maintain the data until you actively delete it, such as by moving an email from your Outlook.com inbox to the Deleted Items folder, and then emptying that folder (when your Deleted Items folder is emptied, those emptied items remain in our system for up to 30 days before final deletion).</li>
<li>
<em>Is there an automated control, such as in the Microsoft privacy dashboard, that enables the customer to access and delete the personal data at any time?</em> If there is not, a shortened data retention time will generally be adopted.</li>
<li>
<em>Is the personal data of a sensitive type?</em> If so, a shortened retention time would generally be appropriate.</li>
<li>
<em>Has Microsoft adopted and announced a specific retention period for a certain data type?</em> For example, for Bing search queries, we de-identify stored queries by removing the entirety of the IP address after 6 months, and cookie IDs and other cross-session identifiers after 18 months.</li>
<li>
<em>Has the user provided consent for a longer retention period?</em> If so, we will retain data in accordance with your consent.</li>
<li>
<em>Is Microsoft subject to a legal, contractual, or similar obligation to retain the data?</em> Examples can include mandatory data retention laws in the applicable jurisdiction, government orders to preserve data relevant to an investigation, or data that must be retained for the purposes of litigation.</li>
</ul>Top of page<i>
</i>Collection of Data From ChildrenCollection of Data From Children<p>When a Microsoft product collects age it will either block users under 13 or will ask them to provide consent from a parent or guardian before they can use it.
We will not knowingly ask children under 13 to provide more data than is necessary to provide the product.
</p>
<p>Once parental consent is granted, the child's account is treated much like any other account.
The child may have access to communication services like email, instant messaging and online message boards and may be able to communicate freely with other users of all ages.</p>
<p> Parents can change or revoke the consent choices previously made, and review, edit or request the deletion of their children's personal data.
For example, parents can access their personal Microsoft account and click on "Permissions." For users of Minecraft and other Mojang games, parents can contact us at account.mojang.com/terms#contact.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Preview or Free of Charge ReleasesPreview or Free of Charge Releases<p>Microsoft offers preview, insider, beta or other free-of-charge products and features ("previews") to enable you to evaluate them while providing feedback, including performance and usage data, to Microsoft.
As a result, previews can automatically collect additional data, provide fewer controls, and otherwise employ different privacy and security measures than those typically present in our products.
If you participate in previews, we may contact you about your feedback or your interest in continuing to use the product after general release.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Changes to This Privacy StatementChanges to This Privacy Statement<p> We will update this privacy statement when necessary to reflect customer feedback and changes in our products.
When we post changes to this statement, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of the statement and describe the changes in the Change History page.
If there are material changes to the statement or in how Microsoft will use your personal data, we will notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes before they take effect or by directly sending you a notification.
We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to learn how Microsoft is protecting your information.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>How to Contact UsHow to Contact Us<p> If you have a technical or support question, please visit support.microsoft.com to learn more about Microsoft Support offerings.
If you have a personal Microsoft account password question, please visit Microsoft account support.
</p>
<p> If you have a privacy concern, complaint, or a question for the Chief Privacy Officer/Data Protection Officer of Microsoft, please contact us by using our Web form.
We will respond to questions or concerns within 30 days.
</p>
<p> Unless otherwise stated, Microsoft Corporation is a data controller for personal data we collect through the products subject to this statement.
Our address is Microsoft Privacy, Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052, USA.
Telephone: (+1) 425-882-8080.
</p>
<p>Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited is our data protection representative for the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
The data protection officer of Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited can be reached at the following address: Microsoft Ireland Operations, Ltd., Attn: Data Protection, Carmenhall Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18, Ireland.</p>
<p>Skype Communications S.à.r.l.
23-29 Rives de Clausen L-2165 Luxembourg, Luxembourg is a data controller for Skype.
To contact us in relation to Skype software or products, please submit a support request to the Skype customer support team.</p>
<p> To find the Microsoft subsidiary in your country or region, see www.microsoft.com/worldwide/.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Product-specific details:Enterprise and Developer ProductsEnterprise &.
Developer Products<p>Enterprise and Developer Products are Microsoft products and related software offered and designed primarily for use by organizations and developers.
They include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cloud services referred to as Online Services in the Microsoft Online Services Terms (OST), such as Office 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics365, Microsoft Intune, and Yammer, for which an organization (our customer) contracts with Microsoft for the services (“Enterprise Online Services”).</li>
<li>Server and developer products, such as Windows Server, SQL Server, Visual Studio, and System Center (“Enterprise and Developer Software”).</li>
<li>Appliances and hardware used for storage infrastructure, such as StorSimple (“Enterprise Appliances”).
and</li>
<li>Cognitive Services, such as Emotion API, Bing Speech API, Recommendations API, for which an organization or developer (our customer) contracts with Microsoft for the services (“Cognitive Services”).</li>
<li>Developer services such as Bot Framework, Cortana Skills Kit, and Botlet Store.</li>
</ul>
<p>
<strong>
<em>In the event of a conflict between this Microsoft privacy statement and the terms of any agreement(s) between a customer and Microsoft for Enterprise and Developer Products, the terms of those agreement(s) will control.</em>
</strong>
</p>
<p>
<strong>
<em>You can also learn more about our Enterprise and Developer Products’ features and settings, including choices that impact your privacy or your end users’ privacy, in product documentation.</em>
</strong>
</p>
<p>If any of the terms below are not defined in this Privacy Statement or the OST, they have the definitions below.</p>
<p>
<strong>General</strong>.
When a customer tries, purchases, uses, or subscribes to Enterprise and Developer Products, or obtains support for such products, Microsoft collects data to provide the service, including uses compatible with providing the service, provide the best experiences with our products, operate our business, and communicate with the customer.
For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>When a customer engages with a Microsoft sales representative, we collect the customer’s name and contact data, along with information about the customer’s organization, to support that engagement.</li>
<li>When a customer interacts with a Microsoft support professional, we collect Device and Usage data or error reports to diagnose and resolve problems.</li>
<li>When a customer pays for products, we collect contact and payment data to process the payment.</li>
<li>When a customer receives communications from Microsoft, we use data to personalize the content of the communication.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Enterprise and Developer Products enable you to purchase, subscribe to or use other products and online services from Microsoft or third parties with different privacy practices, and those other products and online services will be governed by their respective privacy statements and policies.</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>Enterprise Online ServicesEnterprise Online Services<p>To provide the Enterprise Online Services, Microsoft collects Customer Data, Administrator Data, Payment Data, and Support Data.</p>
<p>We use Customer Data and Support Data as described in the OST and the Microsoft Trust Center.</p>
<p>Administrator Data is the information provided to Microsoft during sign-up, purchase, or administration of Enterprise Online Services.
We use Administrator Data to provide the Enterprise Online Services, complete transactions, service the account, and detect and prevent fraud.
Administrator Data includes the name, address, phone number, and email address you provide, as well as aggregated usage data related to your account, such as the controls you select.
Administrator Data may also include contact information of your colleagues and friends if you agree to provide it to Microsoft for the limited purpose of sending them an invitation to use the Enterprise Online Services.
we may contact those individuals with communications that may include information about you, such as your name and profile photo.</p>
<p>As needed, we use Administrator Data to contact you to provide information about your account, subscriptions, billing, and updates to the Enterprise Online Services, including information about new features, security or other technical issues.
We may also contact you regarding third-party inquiries we receive regarding use of the Enterprise Online Services, as described in your agreement.
You will not be able to unsubscribe from these non-promotional communications.
Subject to your contact preferences, we may also contact you regarding information and offers about other products and services, or share your contact information with Microsoft's partners.
You may manage your contact preferences or update your information in your account profile.</p>
<p>We use payment data to complete transactions, as well as to detect and prevent fraud.</p>
<p> Some Enterprise Online Services may require, or may be enhanced by, the installation of local software (e.g., agents, device management applications) on a device.
At your direction, the local software may transmit (i) data, which may include Customer Data, from a device or appliance to or from the Enterprise Online Services.
or (ii) logs or error reports to Microsoft for troubleshooting purposes.
The Enterprise Online Services, including local software, may also collect Device and Usage data that may be transmitted to Microsoft and analyzed to improve the quality, security, and integrity of our products.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Enterprise and Developer Software and Enterprise AppliancesEnterprise and Developer Software and Appliances<p>Enterprise and Developer Software and Enterprise Appliances collect data to operate effectively and provide you the best experiences.
The data we collect depends on the features you use, as well as your configuration and settings, but it is generally limited to Device and Usage data.
Customers have choices about the data they provide.
For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>During installation or when you upgrade an Enterprise and Developer Software, we may collect Device and Usage data to learn whether you experience any difficulties.</li>
<li>When you use Enterprise Software or Enterprise Appliances, we may collect Device and Usage data to learn about your operating environment to improve security features.</li>
<li>When you experience a crash using Enterprise Software or Enterprise Appliances, you may choose to send Microsoft an error report to help us diagnose the problem and deliver customer support.</li>
</ul>
<p> Microsoft uses the data we collect from Enterprise and Developer Software and Enterprise Appliances to provide and improve our products, to deliver customer support, to activate the product, to communicate with you, and to operate our business.
</p>
<p> Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management platform and includes products that can be installed separately (such as SQL Server Management Studio).
For detailed information about what data we collect, how we use it, and how to manage your privacy options, please see the SQL Server Privacy Supplement here.
If you work in an organization, your administrator can set certain telemetry settings via Group Policy.
</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Cognitive ServicesCognitive Services<p>Microsoft Cognitive Services help developers build apps that can better comprehend data, such as by detecting faces and objects in images, understanding spoken words, or interpreting commands.
We collect and use your data to provide the services, which includes improving and personalizing your experiences.</p>
<p>Cognitive Services collect and use many types of data, such as images, audio files, video files, or text, all of which are retained by Microsoft.
Microsoft has implemented business and technical measures designed to help de-identify some data Cognitive Services retain.
De-identification will not anonymize data completely.
for example, a person in a photograph could still be recognized by someone who knows that person.
</p>
<p>Microsoft and apps that use Cognitive Services may also collect and use your data.
For example, Bing uses search queries collected through the Cognitive Services Bing Search APIs as described in the Bing section.
Microsoft Translator uses data sent through the Cognitive Services Translator API as described in the Translator section.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Productivity and Communications ProductsProductivity &.
Communications Products<p>Productivity and Communications products are applications, software and services you can use to create, store and share documents, as well as communicate with others.</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>OfficeOffice<p>Office is a collection of productivity applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook among others.
For more details about Outlook, see the Outlook section of this privacy statement.
Various Office applications enable you to use content and functionality from other Microsoft services, such as Bing, and third-party connected services.
For detailed information about how to manage your privacy options, please see go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=624445.
If you work in an organization, your administrator can turn off connected services via Group Policy.</p>
<p>
<strong>Office Roaming Service</strong>.
The Office Roaming Service helps keep your Office settings up-to-date across your devices running Office.
When you sign into Office with your Microsoft account, the Office Roaming Service is turned on and syncs some of your customized Office settings to Microsoft servers (such as a list of most recently used documents and the last location viewed within a document).
When you sign into Office on another device with the same account, the Office Roaming Service downloads your settings from Microsoft servers and applies them to the additional device.
The Office Roaming Service also applies some of your customized Office settings when you sign into Office.com.
When you sign out of Office, the Office Roaming Service removes your Office settings from your device.
Any changes you made to your customized Office settings are sent to Microsoft servers.</p>
<p>
<strong>Microsoft Updates</strong>.
Office uses the Microsoft Update service to provide you with security and other important updates.
See the Update Services section of this privacy statement for more information.</p>
<p>
<strong>Online Help, templates, fonts, and other content</strong>.
Office uses other Microsoft or third-party services to give you the latest online content when you are connected to the Internet such as Help articles, templates, and fonts.
For example, when you use the Help feature in Office applications, Office sends your search query to Office.com to provide you with online Help articles.
These features are turned on by default, but you can turn them off using privacy settings.
You can access privacy settings in Office 2013 by clicking <strong>File >.
Options >.
Trust Center >.
Trust Center Settings >.
Privacy Options.</strong>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Click-to-Run Update Service</strong>.
The Click-to-Run Update Service allows you to install certain Microsoft Office products over the Internet, so you can start using them before they are completely downloaded.
By default, the Click-to-Run Update Service also automatically detects online updates to Click-to-Run-enabled products on your device and downloads and installs them automatically.
The service is turned on by default, but you can turn it off by using privacy settings.</p>
<p>
<strong>Search services</strong>.
Office-supported search services such as Insights allow you to request information from Microsoft or third-party services from within an Office application.
For example, in Word, you can highlight a word or phrase and retrieve relevant information from Bing search.
When you search on a particular word or phrase, Office sends to the service the encrypted text you requested (and when using Insights, in order to provide you with contextually relevant search results, Office will send your requested word or phrase and some surrounding content from your document).
In Excel, you can send categories of data to Microsoft in order to receive recommendations for other sets of similar data that might interest you, but the actual content from your workbook isn't sent to Microsoft.
In addition, Office will send data about the software you're using and the locale to which your system is set.
If required by a third-party content provider, it will also send authorization data indicating you have the right to download the relevant content.
Frequently, the information you receive includes a link to additional information from the content provider's website.
If you click the link, the content provider may place a cookie on your device to identify you for future transactions.</p>
<p>
<strong>Translation service</strong>.
Some Office applications allow you to translate some or all of your document by using a bilingual dictionary or a machine translation.
If a word or phrase you want to translate isn't in the bilingual dictionary included with your application software, the word or phrase is sent unencrypted to a Microsoft or a third-party translation service.
If you choose to translate your entire document, the entire document is sent unencrypted to a Microsoft or a third-party translation service.
In addition to the word or phrase you want to translate, Office sends information about the Office software you are using, including the version, operating system, and locale and language to which your system is set.
For third-party translation services, Office might also send previously stored authentication information indicating that you previously signed up for access to the website.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>OneDriveOneDrive<p>OneDrive lets you store and access your files on virtually any device.
You can also share and collaborate on your files with others.
Some versions of the OneDrive application enable you to access both your personal OneDrive by signing in with your personal Microsoft account and your OneDrive for Business by signing in with your work or school Microsoft account as part of your organization's use of Office 365.</p>
<p>When you use OneDrive, we collect data about your usage of the service, as well as the content you store in order to provide, improve and protect the services.
Examples include, indexing the contents of your OneDrive documents so that you can search for them later and using location information to enable you to search for photos based on where the photo was taken.
We also collect device information so we can deliver personalized experiences, such as enabling you to sync content across devices and roam customized settings.</p>
<p>When you store content in OneDrive, that content will inherit the sharing permissions of the folder in which you store it.
For example, if you store content in the public folder, the content will be public and available to anyone on the Internet who can find the folder.
If you store content in a private folder, the content will be private.</p>
<p>When you share content to a social network like Facebook from a phone that you have synced with your OneDrive account, your content is either uploaded to that network or a link to that content is posted to that network.
Content posted to social networks and hosted on OneDrive is accessible to anyone on that social network.
To delete the content, you need to delete it from the social network and from OneDrive.</p>
<p>When you share your OneDrive content with your friends via a link, an email with the link is sent to those friends.
The link contains an authorization code that allows anyone with the link to access your content.
If one of your friends sends the link to other people, they will also be able to access your content, even if you did not choose to share the content with them.
To revoke permissions for your content on OneDrive, sign into your account and then select the specific content to manage the permission levels.
Revoking permissions for a link effectively deactivates the link.
No one will be able to use the link to access the content unless you decide to share the link again.</p>
<p>Files managed with OneDrive for Business are stored separately from files stored with your personal OneDrive.
OneDrive for Business collects and transmits personal data for authentication, such as your email address and password, which will be transmitted to Microsoft and/or to the provider of your Office 365 service.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>OutlookOutlook<p>Outlook products are designed to improve your productivity through improved communications and include Outlook.com, Outlook applications, and related services.</p>
<p>
<strong>Outlook.com</strong>.
Outlook.com is Microsoft's primary consumer email service, and includes email accounts with addresses that end in outlook.com, live.com, hotmail.com, and msn.com.
Outlook.com provides features that let you connect with your friends on social networks.
You will need to create a Microsoft account to use Outlook.com.</p>
<p>When you delete an email or item from a mailbox in Outlook.com, the item generally goes into your Deleted Items folder where it remains for approximately 7 days unless you move it back to your inbox, you empty the folder, or the service empties the folder automatically, whichever comes first.
When the Deleted Items folder is emptied, those emptied items remain in our system for up to 30 days before final deletion.</p>
<p>
<strong>Outlook Applications</strong>.
Outlook client applications are software you install on your device that permits you to manage email, calendar items, files, contacts, and other data from email, file storage, and other services, like Exchange Online or Outlook.com, or servers, like Microsoft Exchange.
You can use multiple accounts from different providers, including third-party providers, with Outlook applications.</p>
<p>To add an account, you must provide permission for Outlook to access data from the email or file storage services.</p>
<p>When you add an account to Outlook, your mail, calendar items, files, contacts, settings and other data from that account will automatically sync to your device.
If you are using the mobile Outlook application, that data will also sync to Microsoft servers to enable additional features such as, faster search, personalized filtering of less important mail, and an ability add email attachments from linked file storage providers without leaving the Outlook application.
If you are using the desktop Outlook application, you can choose whether to allow the data to sync to our servers.
At any time, you can remove an account or make changes to the data that is synced from your account.</p>
<p>If you add an account provided by an organization (such as your employer or school), the owner of the organizational domain can implement policies and controls (for example, requiring multi-factor authentication or the ability to remotely wipe data from your device) that can affect your use of Outlook.</p>
<p>To learn more about the data the Outlook applications collect and process, please see the Office section of this privacy statement.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>SkypeSkype<p>Skype lets you send and receive voice, video and instant message communications.
This section applies to the consumer version of Skype.
if you are using Skype for Business, see the Enterprise and Developer Products section of this privacy statement.
Both Microsoft Corporation and Skype Communications S.à.r.l.
(a wholly-owned Microsoft subsidiary based in Luxembourg) are data controllers for Skype, and references to Microsoft in this section refer to both legal entities.</p>
<p>As part of providing these features, Microsoft collects usage data about your communications that includes the time and date of the communication and the numbers or usernames that are part of the communication.</p>
<p>
<strong>Skype profile</strong>.
To enable other people to find you on Skype (or products that interact with Skype, such as Skype for Business), depending on your profile settings, your Skype profile is included in the Skype public search directory.
Your profile includes your username, avatar, and any other data you choose to add to your profile or display to others.</p>
<p>
<strong>Skype Contacts</strong>.
If you use a Microsoft service, such as Outlook.com, to manage contacts, Skype will automatically add the people you know to your Skype contact list until you tell us to stop.
With your permission, Skype will also check your device or other address books from time to time to automatically add your friends as Skype contacts.
You can block users if you don’t want to receive their communications.</p>
<p>
<strong>Partner companies</strong>.
To make Skype available to more people, we partner with other companies to allow Skype to be offered via those companies’ services.
If you use Skype through a company other than Microsoft, that company’s privacy policy governs how it handles your data.
To comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, or to help our partner company or local operator comply or respond, we may access, transfer, disclose, and preserve your data.
That data could include, for example, your private content, such as the content of your instant messages, stored video messages, voicemails, or file transfers.</p>
<p>
<strong>Skype Manager</strong>.
Skype Manager lets you manage a group’s (such as your family’s) Skype usage from one central place.
When you set up a group, you will be the Skype Manager Administrator and can see the patterns of usage, including detailed information, like traffic data and details of purchases, of other members of the group who have consented to such access.
If you add information like your name, other people in the group will be able to see it.
Members of the group can withdraw consent for Skype Manager on their account page at www.skype.com.</p>
<p>
<strong>Skype marketing affiliate program</strong>.
So that more people can learn about Skype, we encourage other companies and organizations to sign up as marketing affiliates to refer people to Skype.
When the people they refer do things like buy Skype Credit, we pay them.
We partner with another company, Conversant Media, to operate our affiliate network.
Microsoft, our network partner, and the marketing affiliates use cookies and web beacons so we can know which marketing affiliate made a successful referral and earned a payment.
Microsoft doesn’t control the cookies that the marketing affiliates set.
For more information on the privacy practices of our network partner, visit http://www.conversantmedia.com/legal/privacy.</p>
<p>
<strong>Push notifications</strong>.
To let you know of incoming calls, chats and other messages, Skype apps use the notification service on your device.
For many devices, these services are provided by a another company.
To tell you who is calling, for example, or to give you the first few words of the new chat, Skype has to tell the notification service so that they can provide the notification to you.
The company providing the notification service on your device will use this information in accordance with their own terms and privacy policy.
Microsoft is not responsible for the data collected by company providing the notification service.
If you don’t want to use the notification services for incoming Skype calls and messages, turn it off in the settings found in the Skype application or your device.</p>
<p>
<strong>Skype advertising</strong>.
Some Skype software includes interest-based advertising, so that you’re more likely to see ads you’ll like.
In some versions of the software, you can opt out of interest-based advertising in the privacy options or account settings menu.
If you sign in to Skype with a Microsoft account, you can opt out of interest-based advertising at http://choice.microsoft.com.
If you opt out, you’ll still see ads displayed in the Skype software based on your country of residence, language preference, and IP address location, but other data is not used for ad targeting.</p>
<p>
<strong>Translation features</strong>.
To help you communicate with people in different languages, some Skype apps offer audio and/or text translation features.
When you use translation features, your voice and text data are used to provide and improve Microsoft speech recognition and translation services.</p>
<p>
<strong>Recording features</strong>.
Some versions of Skype have a recording feature that allows you to capture and share audio and/or video clips of your conversation.
If you choose to record a session, the recording may include a few seconds of the call held in memory prior to your initiating the recording.
The recording will be stored as part of your conversation history and may also be stored locally on your device.
<strong>
<em>You should understand your legal responsibilities before recording any communication.
This includes whether you need to get consent from all parties to the communication in advance.</em>
</strong> Microsoft is not responsible for how you use your recordings or the recording features.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>Search and Artificial IntelligenceSearch &.
Artificial Intelligence<p>Search and Artificial Intelligence products connect you with information and intelligently sense, process and act on information—learning and adapting over time.</p>Learn MoreTop of page<i>
</i>BingBing<p>Bing services include search and mapping services, as well as the Bing Toolbar and Bing Desktop apps.
Bing services are also included within other Microsoft services, such as MSN Apps and Cortana, and certain features in Windows (which we refer to as Bing-powered experiences).</p>
<p>When you conduct a search, or use a feature of a Bing-powered experience that involves conducting a search or entering a command on your behalf, Microsoft will collect the search or command terms you provide, along with your IP address, location, the unique identifiers contained in our cookies, the time and date of your search, and your browser configuration.
If you use Bing voice-enabled services, additionally your voice input and performance data associated with the speech functionality will be sent to Microsoft.
When you use Bing-powered experiences, such as Ask Cortana or Bing Lookup, to search a particular word or phrase within a web page or document, that word or phrase is sent to Bing along with some surrounding content in order to provide contextually relevant search results.</p>
<p>
<strong>Search Suggestions</strong>.
For the Search Suggestions feature, the characters that you type into a Bing-powered experience to conduct a search will be sent to Microsoft.
This allows us to provide you with suggestions as you type your searches.
To turn this feature on or off, while using Bing Search, go to Bing settings.
Search Suggestions cannot be turned off in Cortana.
On Windows, you can always hide Cortana and the search box so as not to use the feature.</p>
<p>
<strong>Bing Experience Improvement Program for Bing Desktop and Bing Toolbar</strong>.
If you are using Bing Desktop or Bing Toolbar and choose to participate in the Bing Experience Improvement Program, we also collect additional data about how you use these specific Bing apps, such as the addresses of the websites you visit, to help improve search ranking and relevance.
To help protect your privacy, we do not use the data collected through the Bing Experience Improvement Program to identify or contact you, or target advertising to you.
You can turn off the Bing Experience Improvement Program at any time in the Bing Desktop or Bing Toolbar settings.
Finally, we delete the information collected through the Bing Experience Improvement Program after 18 months.</p>
<p>
<strong>Retention and de-identification</strong>.
We de-identify stored search queries by removing the entirety of the IP address after 6 months, and cookie IDs and other cross-session identifiers after 18 months.</p>
<p>
<strong>Personalization through Microsoft account</strong>.
Some Bing services provide you with an enhanced experience when you sign in with your personal Microsoft account, for example, syncing your search history across devices.
You can use these personalization features to customize your interests, favorites, and settings, and to connect your account with third-party services.
Visit the Bing settings page to manage your personalization settings or the Microsoft privacy dashboard.</p>
<p>
<strong>Managing Search History</strong>.
Bing's Search History service provides an easy way to revisit the search terms you've entered and results you've clicked when using Bing search through your browser.
You may clear your search history on the Microsoft privacy dashboard at https://account.microsoft.com/privacy.
Clearing your history removes it from the Search History service and prevents that history from being displayed on the site, but does not delete information from our search logs, which are retained and de-identified as described above.</p>
<p>
<strong>Non-Microsoft services that use Bing</strong>.
You may access Bing-powered experiences when using other non-Microsoft services, such as those from Yahoo!.
In order to provide these services, Bing receives data from these and other partners that may include date, time, IP address, a unique identifier and other search-related data.
This data will be sent to Microsoft in order to provide the search service.
Microsoft will use this data as described in this statement or as further limited by our contractual obligations with our partners.
You should refer to the privacy policies of the non-Microsoft services for any questions about how they collect and use data.</p>
<p>
<strong>Search query passed in referral URL</strong>.
When you click on a search result or advertisement from a Bing search results page and go to the destination website, the destination website will receive the standard data your browser sends to every web site you visit - such as your IP address, browser type and language, and the URL of the site you came from (in this case, the Bing search results page).
Because the URL of the Bing search results page contains the text of the search query you entered (which could include names, addresses, or other identifying information), the destination website will be able to determine the search term you entered.</p>
<p>If your browser is enabled to allow pages to pre-load in the background for faster performance, when your browser loads a page in the background, it will have the same effect as if you visited that page, including sending the Bing search results page URL (containing your search query) and downloading any cookies that page sets.</p>
<p>
<strong>Sharing search data for research and development purposes</strong>.
We share some de-identified search query data, including voice queries, with selected third parties for research and development purposes.
Before we do so, we remove all unique identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie IDs from the data.
We also run the data through a process designed to remove certain sensitive data that users may have included in the search terms themselves (such as social security numbers or credit card numbers).
Additionally, we require these third parties to keep the data secure and to not use the data for other purposes.</p>Top of page<i>
</i>CortanaCortana<p>Cortana is your personal assistant.
Depending on the capabilities of your device and the version of Cortana you are using (e.g., Windows, Xbox, iOS, etc.), Cortana can provide a range of features, some of them personalized.
Cortana works best when you sign in and let her use data from your device, your personal Microsoft account, your AAD account, other Microsoft services, and third-party services you choose to connect.
On Windows devices, if you choose not to sign into Cortana, you can still chat with Cortana and use Cortana to help you search the web, or for your email, people and documents stored on your device or in Microsoft services, like OneDrive.
See the subsection on Windows Search for more information.
But if you don’t sign in, your experiences will be more limited and will not be personalized.
On iOS, Android devices and other Cortana enabled devices, Cortana works only when you sign-in.</p>
<p>
<strong>Signed out</strong>.
When you are not signed in on a Windows device, Cortana will collect data about how you chat with Cortana and use Cortana to search, using either your voice, inking, or typing.
This data includes the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Speech Services</strong>.
To help Cortana better understand the way you speak and your voice commands, speech data is sent to Microsoft to build speech models and improve speech recognition and user intent understanding.
If you choose to sign in, the speech models will become more personalized.</li>
<li>
<strong>Queries and search history</strong>.
Your Bing search queries and the Search Suggestion feature - even if Cortana does the searching for you - are treated like any other Bing search queries and are used as described in the Bing section.</li>
<li>
<strong>Device Data</strong>.
Cortana can access data about your device and how you use it.
For instance, it can determine if Bluetooth is on, whether your lock screen in on, your alarm settings, and which apps you install and use.</li>
</ul>
<p>
<strong>Signed in</strong>.
If you sign in, you enable Cortana to perform additional tasks and to provide personalized experiences and relevant suggestions.
and you give Cortana permission to collect or access the following additional types of data, some of which depend on the capabilities of the version of Cortana you are using (e.g., Windows, Android, iOS, etc.) and the app or device you are using into which Cortana is integrated (e.g.
Skype):</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Microsoft account</strong>.
Cortana can access the demographic data (such as your age, postal code and gender) you provided when you created your personal Microsoft account.</li>
<li>
<strong>Other Microsoft product usage</strong>.
Cortana uses data collected through other Microsoft services to provide personalized suggestions.