MSN Premium / MSN Plus / MSN 9 Dial-Up Privacy Supplement

Note that this page is a supplement to the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement. In order to understand the data collection and use practices relevant for a particular site or service, you should read both the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement and any applicable supplement.

MSN Premium / MSN Plus / MSN 9 Dial-Up Privacy Supplement

last updated: January 2006

Through MSN registration, you will create MSN credentials (e-mail address and password) for each user, which will be used for signing into the service. When you sign into MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up, you will also be signed into to MSN sites you visit or services you use.

MSN will automatically check the version of MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up and components you are using (including your browser version) every time you sign into the service in order to optimise performance. MSN may also provide upgrades to such software that will be automatically installed on your computer.

MSN Parental Controls

MSN Premium/ MSN Plus and MSN 9 Dial-Up account managers can choose to set up MSN Parental Controls for the people who use that account. The account manager is the person who subscribes to MSN. Since it is typically a parent or guardian enabling this feature for a child, the terms "parent" and "child" will be used to describe this feature.

E-mail notification: When a parent configures Parental Controls for a child, the child will receive an e-mail message describing the service and notifying him or her that Parental Controls have been set for the account.

Online activity report: Parents can choose to enable online reporting for a child who has Parental Controls set for his or her account. If this feature is enabled, information about how a child uses the Internet will be stored temporarily on the child's computer. This information is periodically sent to the parent by e-mail from the child's account and is then deleted from the child's computer.

Contact lists: Parents may also choose to control the list of people that a child can correspond with using MSN Mail or MSN Messenger. The list of contacts specified for the child is stored on MSN servers so that the child will be protected whenever and wherever he or she uses MSN Mail or Messenger. The list of contacts can be edited by the parent or can be deleted by deleting the child's account.

Task requests: A child may request permission to complete a task that a parent has blocked. For example, the child can request access to a blocked Web site or for the ability to exchange e-mail messages with a new friend. MSN stores this automated request for a brief period, allowing the parent to review, allow or deny the request from any computer using MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up.

MSN Customer Experience Improvement Programme

The MSN Customer Experience Improvement Programme is an optional service in which you can choose to participate. MSN performs this service to help us identify trends and usage patterns and improve Microsoft software and services. If you choose to participate, you allow Microsoft to collect anonymous information about how you use Microsoft software and services, as well as some information about your computer. For example, this may include whether you clicked on a particular button or menu item, how many e-mail messages you sent with pictures, or whether the dashboard is turned on or off. The Customer Experience Improvement Programme can be turned on or off at any time in MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN9 Dial-Up Software on the Privacy settings page.

Please note your decision to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Programme does not affect the collection of anonymous performance information about the MSN software and service that Microsoft collects as an essential part of providing you and all MSN customers with a reliable, quality service. This performance information may include, for example, how many times you attempt to sign in or how long it takes on average to open the home page. All of this information is anonymous and does not include any personal information.

Critical Performance Errors

You may occasionally see a message informing you of a critical performance error in MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up. This message will ask you to send data to MSN. If you agree, MSN Software will automatically collect and send the data needed to help MSN determine what caused the error.

Before you choose to send your data to MSN, you have the opportunity to review that data. If you choose to send the data, in some cases your personal information may also be sent to MSN. This personal information is deleted before Microsoft reviews the error data you send.

Import Wizard

MSN Premium/ MSN Plus and MSN 9 Dial-Up offers you the chance to import some information from your computer such as your Favourites from Internet Explorer, your e-mail messages from Outlook Express and your Address Book from Outlook Express, for use in MSN. This data is imported only at your request and for the sole purpose of giving you access to it from MSN.

"Roaming"

MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up give you access to some of your MSN settings and information even when you sign in to MSN on different computers ("roaming").

Calendar and Contacts: When you input calendar and contact data into MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN Dial-Up, this information will be stored to enable roaming and your ability to share your calendar data with other users.
Favourites: MSN Plus/ MSN premium and MSN 9 Dial-Up collect and store your favourite Web page addresses (URLs) in your Favourites list. Your Favourites list is available to you anywhere you sign in to your MSN account.
Sign-in picture: Your sign-in picture will show anywhere you sign in to your MSN account. If you communicate using MSN Messenger, people on your contact list who are also running MSN Premium/ MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up will be able to see your sign-in picture when you are online.
Parental Controls: MSN stores parental control settings so that they will be enforced anywhere a child signs in to MSN Premium; MSN Plus or MSN 9 Dial-Up, even if the child uses a different computer.

The purpose of storing the information on the server is to provide you with the convenience of having your settings and information available to you anywhere, even if you use multiple computers.