Microsoft · Microsoft Privacy Statement (Legacy)

Interest-Based Advertising and Data Sharing with Advertisers

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What it is

Microsoft does not share your name or email address with our advertisers. When we deliver a search result or an ad to you, we will send data like your search query, IP address, location, ad configuration, and device identifiers to our advertising partners. We also share aggregate data with our advertising partners.

Why it matters

Even without sharing your name, the combination of search queries, location, device identifiers, and IP address shared with advertising partners can enable re-identification and detailed behavioural profiling by those third parties.

Consumer impact

Microsoft collects a wide range of personal data — including location, voice recordings, search queries, browsing history, and content you create — across all its products and uses this data for advertising personalisation, AI training, and product improvement. Users with a Microsoft account have rights to access, correct, delete, and export their data, and can opt out of interest-based advertising, but many data uses are bundled under broad legitimate interest or contractual necessity grounds that cannot be individually declined. You can review, download, and delete your personal data, and adjust advertising and diagnostic data settings, by visiting the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard at account.microsoft.com/privacy.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Export Your Data
    Sign in to your Microsoft account, go to account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings, and toggle off 'See personalised ads in your browser' and 'See personalised ads wherever I use my Microsoft account' to opt out of interest-based advertising.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC regulates unfair or deceptive advertising data practices and has authority over data sharing with third-party advertisers under FTC Act Section 5.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Microsoft Privacy Statement (Legacy)
Entity
Microsoft
Document last updated
March 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 1, 2026
Last verified
April 4, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002056
Document ID
CA-D-00001
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
53438792c608fb8300a22a50aa22e6de5e810a38ca3fbef41d76b85849529496
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Microsoft | Document: Microsoft Privacy Statement (Legacy) | Record: CA-P-002056
Captured: 2026-04-01 13:59:02 UTC | SHA-256: 53438792c608fb83…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/microsoft/microsoft-privacy-statement-legacy/interest-based-advertising-and-data-sharing-with-advertisers/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
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