Microsoft uses your personal data to serve you targeted advertisements and marketing, including by personalizing ads based on your browsing behavior, interests, and usage of Microsoft products.
This analysis describes what Microsoft Azure's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
Interest-based advertising means your activity across Microsoft services, including search, browsing, and product use, may be used to build a profile for ad targeting, and you should be aware of how to opt out if you prefer not to receive personalized ads.
Microsoft now discloses that it may contact you by phone for marketing using automated dialers and AI-generated voices if you have consented to marketing communications, which represents a new disclo…
Microsoft's privacy policy now provides a less detailed explanation of how long your data is retained. Previously, the policy included specific examples, such as how long deleted emails remain in you…
Microsoft's updated retention policy provides greater specificity about how long your data persists and under what conditions it is deleted. The policy now explicitly states that deleted items from O…
Microsoft uses your personal data to deliver personalized advertising across its products; you can adjust your ad preferences and opt out of interest-based advertising through the Microsoft privacy dashboard at account.microsoft.com/privacy.
How other platforms handle this
There is certain information that we collect automatically from your use of our online Services and from your device(s) used to access those Services, for example by using the types of technologies discussed in the 'Online Analytics' section below. This information includes your IP address, page vie...
We use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities on our website. We may use third-party analytics providers such as Google Analytics to help us understand how users interact with our website. We may also work with third-party advertis...
We share information with third parties who help us operate our business, including to assist us with marketing campaigns, advertising, analytics and research. These service providers are given access to your information as reasonably necessary to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated ...
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"Microsoft uses the data we collect to provide you with rich, interactive experiences. In particular, we use data to: Provide our products, which includes updating, securing, and troubleshooting, as well as providing support. It also includes sharing data, when it is required to provide the service or carry out the transactions you request. Improve and develop our products. Personalize our products and make recommendations. Advertise and market to you, which includes sending promotional communications, targeting advertising, and presenting you with relevant offers.— Excerpt from Microsoft Azure's Microsoft Privacy
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Interest-based advertising practices engage GDPR's consent and legitimate interests provisions, the ePrivacy Directive (for EU cookie-based targeting), CCPA's right to opt out of sharing for targeted advertising, and FTC Act requirements around deceptive advertising practices. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The statement's disclosure of advertising use is broad and encompasses multiple Microsoft services. The reliance on legitimate interests as a processing basis for advertising, where applicable, may face scrutiny under GDPR given the commercial nature of the processing. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA users have stronger rights to object to and opt out of interest-based advertising under GDPR. California residents have CCPA rights to opt out of sharing for targeted advertising. UK users are subject to the UK GDPR and UK ICO guidance on cookie-based advertising. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations using Microsoft advertising products or integrating Microsoft advertising technologies on their own platforms should assess whether their consent mechanisms and privacy disclosures are consistent with Microsoft's stated data practices. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should audit consent collection mechanisms for any Microsoft advertising SDK or tracking technology integrated into their products, and confirm that opt-out signals (such as Global Privacy Control) are honored as required by applicable state law.
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Interest-based advertising means your activity across Microsoft services, including search, browsing, and product use, may be used to build a profile for ad targeting, and you should be aware of how to opt out if you prefer not to receive personalized ads.
Microsoft uses your personal data to deliver personalized advertising across its products; you can adjust your ad preferences and opt out of interest-based advertising through the Microsoft privacy dashboard at account.microsoft.com/privacy.
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