Microsoft collects DVD & CD use data!!!!!!!

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
An AP story examines how Microsoft Media Player collects and stores the history of a customer's DVD and CD use:



"Microsoft's new version of its popular Media Player software is logging the songs and movies that customers play.

The company changed its privacy statement Wednesday to notify customers about the technology after inquiries from The Associated Press. [...]

Microsoft's original privacy statement informed customers that they were downloading the information about CDs but never stated it was being stored in a log file on each computer. The new statement makes clear that information is being downloaded for both DVDs and CDs, but does not explain how users can eliminate or get into the log file. [...]

As part of downloading the information about songs and movies from the Web site, the program also transmits an identifier number unique to each user on the computer. That creates the possibility that user habits could be tracked and sold for marketing purposes.

Privacy experts said they feared the log file could be used by investigators, divorce lawyers, snooping family members, marketing companies or others interested in learning about a person's entertainment habits. It also could be used to make sure users have paid for the music or movie, and have not made an illegal copy."

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    Can you believe this story!! Who would continue using a Windows based PC after knowing this?!?!?!
  • Reply 2 of 15
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by clonenode:

    <strong>Can you believe this story!! Who would continue using a Windows based PC after knowing this?!?!?!</strong><hr></blockquote>



    The idiots that've always bought them.
  • Reply 3 of 15
    crusadercrusader Posts: 1,129member
    This is why I love being a Mac user!
  • Reply 4 of 15
    When you put in a CD or DVD it queries the CDDB and gets the author data for that media. Like the song title, artist, album or for DVDs movie title, director etc.



    It then stores this information in a file on your computer so that it can access it quicker the next time you load that CD/DVD.



    It doesn't say this log file is sent back to Microsoft.



    When I put a CD in my Mac iTunes queries the CDDB also, though I'm not sure if it stores the information in a file or not.



    Basically this is bad if you watch porn DVDs and don't want your spouse to know about....and you spouse knows how to get into the log file.



    I don't think this is that big of a deal. Maybe I'm missing something though?
  • Reply 5 of 15
    Willoughby, you're exactly right. people are just headline whores nowadays, they never bother actually processing what the article says.



    plain and simple, to make it faster/easier for people, your PC will keep a file of the cd's that you've listened to in the past. that way, if the same CD is put in your computer, the cd info pops up without having to contact/query the CDDB.



    esp. nice for modem users.



    if someone can explain where the problem here is, i'd love to hear it.



    if you're worried about the log file getting out, someone would have to basically root your machine, at which point you have bigger problems.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    noahjnoahj Posts: 4,503member
    I would agree with Willoughby and Alcimedes if only MS did not have such a horrible track record already. This is likely going to be used or already being used by them for marketing purposes at the least (Spyware), why else would it use a unique identifier for each user?
  • Reply 7 of 15
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    If you really want to freak out.... check out the History folder of your favorite browser... or the *shudder* BOOKMARKS!



    THEY KNOW!



  • Reply 8 of 15
    noahjnoahj Posts: 4,503member
    [quote]Originally posted by groverat:

    <strong>If you really want to freak out.... check out the History folder of your favorite browser... or the *shudder* BOOKMARKS!



    THEY KNOW!



    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Laugh all you want Grover. But even if you clear your browser cache the files are still there. Hidden by microsoft. Why is this? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />



    <a href="http://membrane.com/security/secure/Microsoft_Is_Unscrupulous.html"; target="_blank">I have looked, this is all true on a Windows box.</a> For more hits on this go to Google and search for "Microsoft's Really hidden files" The site f*ckmicrosoft.com will be the first in the list. That has a newer writeup on this with more current info.





    <a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020221/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_privacy_14"; target="_blank">More on the current thread.</a>



    [ 02-21-2002: Message edited by: NoahJ ]</p>
  • Reply 9 of 15
    xmogerxmoger Posts: 242member
    Let's not let the fact that tivo or other apps cache our behaviour, or that it provides usefull features get in the way of our rage. Maybe these options should be turned off by default, but it's the same way with most software & websites. Even <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24152.html"; target="_blank">the register</a> sees the purpose and potential abuse of this technology, without frothing at the mouth.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    Let's not also forget that many many applications keep a history of which files you've opened and media players often keep 'history' of your cd's/mp3s ... so why would we be surprised that WMP does this?



    Those apps all store 'cookies' or 'cache' or 'log' information out on your hard drive somewhere in order to accomplish this. (not that i'm trying to protect microsoft)



    I'm confused.



    Ariel
  • Reply 11 of 15
    [quote] But even if you clear your browser cache the files are still there. Hidden by microsoft. Why is this? <hr></blockquote>



    Gosh, it can't have anything to do with the way the file system works, can it...



    Deleting a file simply marks the physical space on the disk as "empty", it does not delete the information. This is why undelete programs work as well as they do.



    If you're in the mood for more testing, empty your temporary internet files, then fill your drive with other things. You won't be able to find those internet files anymore.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    This was also from the same article:



    "Jonathan Usher, another Windows Media executive, said Microsoft has no plans to market aggregate information about its customers' viewing habits, BUT WOULD NOT RULE IT OUT." (emphasis added)





    So M$ downplays the fact that they didn't bother to tell anybody that a log was being kept...and that unique identifying numbers were being transmitted (to whom?) as part of the download process...and the file is not something you have access to in order to modify or turn off.



    Even if you assume M$ is innocent up to this point, it's hard to trust such good people to have your best interest at heart when they "would not rule out" doing the very thing THEY say you shouldn't be worried about them doing!
  • Reply 13 of 15
    noahjnoahj Posts: 4,503member
    [quote]Originally posted by RubberDucky:

    <strong>



    Gosh, it can't have anything to do with the way the file system works, can it...



    Deleting a file simply marks the physical space on the disk as "empty", it does not delete the information. This is why undelete programs work as well as they do.



    If you're in the mood for more testing, empty your temporary internet files, then fill your drive with other things. You won't be able to find those internet files anymore.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Did you even read that link I put out? The files are NOT deleted. They are there for you to browse without an undelete program. Just there. You just have to know where to look. I understand how file deletion works, and this is not deletion. There is something more here than a simple inefficient file system.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    something.... SINISTER!



    So the complaint is that the file isn't on the desktop and named "WE ARE SPYING ON J00!"?



    If you can find it... what's the problem?



    [edit]



    This is the kind of crap that my mother sends me in forwards, ignorant FUD stuff that even Mac users should be wise to.



    [ 02-22-2002: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>
  • Reply 15 of 15
    I think the point is that if YOU can find it, so can anyone else, including M$, but YOU can't do anything with the information, including delete it, and M$ can do something with it. How important that is to you probably depends on 1) how much you don't want somebody to know what you watch, or 2) how much it sucks that M$ can't ever write a program that doesn't include the ability to keep up with your user habits.



    Let's remember that they say we shouldn't be worried that they would use the information, since they claim that it wasn't being gathered to be used, but they don't rule out using the information. THAT'S the doubletalk that allowed Mr. Gates to get where he is now. "Watch my mouth move, don't watch where I'm putting my hands. No, that's not my hand in your pocket. I would never do that. But I might."
Sign In or Register to comment.