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Plain-English summary
Microsoft collects various types of data, including name, contact details, account credentials, demographic information, payment information, subscription information, and interactions with Microsoft products. They also collect device and usage data, browsing history, interests, content consumption, searches, commands, voice data, text, inking, typing data, images, contacts, relationships, social data, location data, biometric data, and other input. In addition, Microsoft collects content in files, messages, emails, chats, calls, meetings, photos, documents, and other media created or shared by users, as well as video and audio recordings at Microsoft locations. Microsoft obtains data about users from its affiliates, subsidiaries, and various third parties, such as data brokers, services that make user-generated content public, communication services, location service providers, marketing partners, and developers. They also use publicly available sources. Microsoft uses this collected data for advertising, marketing, and to develop and train its AI models. Users can decline to provide personal data and use controls in their web browsers or operating systems to limit data collection.
90% confidence
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Risk Flags
Critical issues and red flags in the policy that could lead to significant user harm. These are typically hard to reverse and may include unfavorable dispute resolution, broad content ownership grants, or account termination without cause.
Not clearly stated: No high-severity clauses found that directly state hard-to-reverse harm, such as broad ownership of user content, mandatory arbitration, or account termination without cause or refund.
Data Use
This section describes how the company collects, uses, and shares your personal data. It details the types of data collected, the purposes for its use, and who it may be shared with, including third parties. It also covers your choices and controls over your data.
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Extensive Data Collection
Microsoft collects various types of personal data from users, including name, contact details, account credentials, demographic data, payment data, subscription and licensing data, and interactions with Microsoft products.
Why it matters: Microsoft collects a wide array of personal data, including sensitive information and detailed usage patterns, which could lead to privacy concerns for users given the breadth of data collected.
**Name and contact details**. Your first and last name, email address, mailing address, phone number, and other similar contact details.
The data we collect can include the following:, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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Collection of Device, Usage, and Behavioral Data
Microsoft collects various types of data related to device usage, browsing history, connectivity, error reports, troubleshooting, bot interactions, interests, content consumption, searches, commands, voice data, text, inking, typing data, images, contacts, social data, location data, biometric data, and other input from devices.
Why it matters: Microsoft collects extensive data on user behavior, device specifics, interests, and even biometric data, which can lead to sophisticated profiling and potentially sensitive personal information being gathered by the company.
Information about the media content you access through our products like TV, video, music/audio, apps, and games. * **Searches and commands**. Search queries and commands you provide in Microsoft products, such as interactions with a chat bot. * **Voice data**. Also referred to as “voice clips,” this includes spoken queries commands, or dictation, and may include background sounds. [Learn more about how Microsoft uses and protects voice data in its speech recognition technologies](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=2145715). * **Text, inking, and typing data**. Data and related information you provide by typing, inking, or using touch input in Microsoft products. * **Images**.
The data we collect can include the following:, paragraph 8 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence confidence
Collection of Content and Recordings
Microsoft collects information in files, messages, emails, chats, calls, meetings, photos, documents, and other media that users create or share. They also collect video and audio recordings at Microsoft locations.
Why it matters: Microsoft collects the actual content users create and share, as well as video and audio recordings at its locations, which could potentially expose private communications and images.
**Content**. Information in files and messages, emails, chats, calls, meetings, photos, documents, and other media you create or share using Microsoft products.
The data we collect can include the following:, paragraph 9 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence confidence
Data Collection from Third Parties
Microsoft obtains data about users from Microsoft affiliates, subsidiaries, and various third parties including data brokers, services that make user-generated content public, communication services, location service providers, marketing partners, and developers. They also use publicly available sources like open public sector, academic, and commercial data sets.
Why it matters: Microsoft accesses user data from a wide range of third-party sources, including data brokers and social media, which means user data privacy depends on policies across many platforms, not just Microsoft's.
* Services that make user-generated content from their service available to others, such as reviews of local businesses or public social media posts. * Communication services, including email providers and social networks, when you give us permission to access your data on such third-party services or networks. * Service providers that help us determine your device’s location. * Partners with whom we engage in joint marketing activities. * Developers who create experiences through or for Microsoft products. * Third parties that deliver experiences through Microsoft products. * Publicly available sources, such as open public sector, academic, and commercial data sets.
The data we collect can include the following:, paragraph 14 · Citation strength: strong
medium90% confidence confidence
Data Used for Advertising and AI Model Training
Microsoft uses collected data to advertise and market to users, which includes sending promotional communications, personalized advertising, and presenting relevant offers. Additionally, as part of efforts to improve and develop products, user data may be used to develop and train AI models.
Why it matters: User data is used for personalized advertising, presenting offers, and training AI models, which could raise privacy concerns about how broadly data is applied across different services.
* Provide our products, which includes updating, securing, and troubleshooting, as well as providing support and making recommendations. * Improve and develop our products.As part of our efforts to improve and develop our products, we may use your data to develop and train our AI models. Learn more [here](https://support.microsoft.com/topic/privacy-faq-for-microsoft-copilot-27b3a435-8dc9-4b55-9a4b-58eeb9647a7f). * Advertise and market to you, which includes sending promotional communications,personalized advertising, and presenting relevant offers.
How we use personal data, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation & Renewal
This section outlines the policies related to canceling active services, subscriptions, or accounts. It also covers automatic renewals, refund eligibility, and procedures for account termination.
Not clearly stated: No information regarding cancellation or renewal policies was found in the provided text.
Gotchas
Potentially problematic clauses that may be overlooked. These could include exceptions to privacy, limitations on liability, or other terms that might be unfavorable under specific conditions.
Not clearly stated: No gotchas were clearly stated in the provided text.
Protections
Leverage these commitments for your benefit! These consumer-friendly clauses offer benefits like strong data privacy, clear refund policies, or explicit user control over their information.
Protection90% confidence confidence
Control over Data Sharing and Collection
Users have choices regarding the data they share and can decline to provide personal data. They can also use in-product controls, web browser settings, or operating system controls to limit or prevent certain types of data collection.
Why it helps: Users have explicit control over their data sharing and collection preferences, empowering them to manage their privacy settings and decline providing certain personal data.
You have choices when it comes to the data you share. When we ask you to provide personal data, you can decline.You can also use in-product controls, including those in your web browser or operating system to limit or prevent certain types of data collection.
Personal data we collect, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
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