Search and Maps Privacy Supplement
(last updated May 2008)
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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.
On This Page
 | Maps and Location Services |
When you use Search we may place a cookie on your machine which contains a unique identifier known as the Search ID. If you have previously signed into a Microsoft site or service using a Windows Live ID, we may also read one or more additional unique identifiers contained in other Microsoft cookies when you conduct a search. For more information on how Search uses these cookies and unique identifiers to provide advertising content to you, see the Display of Advertising section of the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement.
When you conduct a search, Microsoft will collect the search terms you provide, along with your IP address, the unique identifiers contained in the cookies, the time and date of your search, and your browser configuration.
We use this information to provide you with relevant search results. We will attempt to derive your approximate location based on your IP address, and will use that information to display search results tailored to your geographic location. You can change your default location by clicking on the "Options" link on the search page. Your location and other search settings are stored in a cookie on your machine.
We also use the information we collect to maintain and improve the quality, security and integrity of our services. For example we may use this information for research purposes and to improve the relevancy of Search results. This information is also necessary in order to detect and protect against security threats such as botnet attacks, click fraud, worms, and other threats.
Finally, as described in the Display of Advertising section of the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement, we may use search query data for the purpose of personalizing the ads we display to you as you use our services. The search terms you enter in Search are categorized and certain user segments are inferred based on those terms. For example, if you search on terms associated with sports, we may associate a “sports segment” with the unique identifier contained in your cookie, and you will then be more likely to see ads related to sports.
We store our Search service search terms (and the cookie IDs associated with search terms) separately from any account information that directly identifies the user, such as name, e-mail address, or phone numbers. Further, we have built-in technological and procedural safeguards designed to prevent the unauthorized correlation of this data. After 18 months, we will completely anonymize all Search queries, unless you provide consent for a longer time period, by irreversibly removing all cross-session identifiers from the search queries, including the full IP address and all cookie IDs.
We may share some search query data with selected third parties for research 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 identifiable information 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 any other purposes.
If you choose to install and use Windows Desktop Search, you can search for e-mail, documents and other files located on your computer. No information about the files on your computer will be sent to Microsoft as part of this process. Instead, Windows Desktop Search will index the content of your computer and store the index file on your computer. You can customize Windows Desktop Search to index only specified folders on your computer. Windows Desktop Search will not store copies of e-mail or documents after they are deleted.
Maps and Location Services
Microsoft MapPoint Web Service
Mapping features on Microsoft's sites and services are based in part on the Microsoft MapPoint Web Service. The MapPoint Web Service is a set of mapping and related services that is accessed through an application such as a Web site, desktop software, or mobile application. When you submit information, such as an address to be viewed on a map, to the application, that application passes it to the MapPoint Web Service for processing.
We keep track of all requests the application you are using makes to the MapPoint Web Service. Location-related information in the request or derived from the request, such as latitude and longitude, is used for calculating payments to our data vendors so that we may operate the service. We will occasionally capture all information in the request for use in testing and maintenance of the service. This information includes the date and time of the request and location-related information you may have provided to the application such as latitude and longitude, address, place name, or the start and end address of a route.
Location Finder
Location Finder uses the wireless access points visible to your computer to determine your location. No personal information such as your name or contact information is sent to Microsoft by Location Finder. In online mode, information about the access points will be sent to Microsoft and the online Location Finder service will determine your location. This information includes the signal strength and MAC address (a hardware identifier) of each access point, as well as standard HTTP request information such as your IP address. None of this information is used to identify you.
The online service calculates your location from a database of known access point locations and returns an approximate longitude and latitude. If the service is unable to determine your location from these access points, other methods may be used such as IP address mapping.
Location requests made to the online service are stored in a transaction log. The log is used to improve the quality and accuracy of the service. This includes adding locations of new access points, updating out-of-date access point locations, and refining the IP address mapping database.
In offline mode, the Microsoft Location Finder product installed on your system will determine your location using the access point database installed on your machine by the product. Your location information will not be sent to Microsoft.
Location Finder will periodically contact Microsoft to check for Location Finder product updates when you are in online mode and attempting to determine your location. Microsoft will send the current version information back to Location Finder and if there is an update available from Microsoft, Location Finder will give you a choice to download and install the update. If you consent to the update, the update will be downloaded and installed on your computer.
If you use the online Location Finder service or periodically check for updates, we may collect information about your use of the product, including version number, features used, and application settings to help improve the product. This information will not be used to identify or contact you.
