[Am-info] Microsoft bows to EU privacy concerns

[Erick Andrews]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2710389.stm

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Microsoft has agreed to make substantial changes to its
Passport online identity system to make it comply with
European privacy laws.

The demand for changes followed a European Union
investigation into the identity system to see how well it
protected personal information.

The changes mean that people will be able to decide how much
data about them that they want Microsoft to hold, rather
than simply handing over personal information.

The changes to Passport will be made over the next 18
months.

Secure password

The Passport service allows people to sign up once and use
the same password to get access to online services hosted by
many different companies.

Before now EU officials have been worried that the sensitive
personal information people must surrender to get a Passport
account was not being adequately protected.

It also had worries about the sweeping permission people
signing up for Passport gave to Microsoft to use the
personal information.

European data laws impose significant burdens on those that
hold information about customers to try to ensure that it is
not abused or stored for long periods without good reason.

The agreement reached with Microsoft means that when
Europeans sign up for the service they will be asked to
designate themselves as EU residents and then decide how
much information they are happy to share with the software
giant.

The site will also have links to web pages setting out
European data protection laws.

Users will also be given advice on how to think up secure
passwords.

"The bottom line is that users' data will now be better
protected," said EU Internal Market Commissioner Frits
Bolkestein.

The strictures that apply to Microsoft will also affect the
Liberty Alliance identity system set up to provide an
alternative to Passport.

The privacy investigation is reportedly unrelated to an
on-going probe into alleged anti-trust violations by the
software giant.

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-- 
Erick Andrews