Dive Brief:
- The French National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) on Wednesday ordered Microsoft to stop collecting large amounts of data on users of its Windows 10 operating system and serving them personalized ads without their consent.
- The CNIL gave the company three months to comply.
- If Microsoft fails to stop tracking browsing by users, the CNIL said it may initiate a sanctions procedure.
Dive Insight:
EU data protection authorities have been investigating Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system since its launch last year.
Microsoft tracks data about user behaviors such as which apps are downloaded and installed and the amount of time a user spends with each app. The CNIL said that practice constitutes excessive and unnecessary data collection.
"The purpose of the notice is not to prohibit any advertising on the company’s services but, rather, to enable users to make their choice freely, having been properly informed of their rights," the CNIL said.
In February, the CNIL ordered Facebook to stop collecting users' information without their consent.
The millions of businesses that use Microsoft products globally may want to better understand how the company uses the data they collect, French authorities argue.
David Heiner, vice president and deputy general counsel of Microsoft, said the company would take the order under consideration.
"We built strong privacy protections into Windows 10, and we welcome feedback as we continually work to enhance those protections," Heiner told Reuters. "We will work closely with the CNIL over the next few months to understand the agency's concerns fully and to work toward solutions that it will find acceptable."
