New known privacy risks with Microsoft Office ProPlus Enterprise
Hi
Our government customers are very angry with Microsoft, but I think this is nothing new as we know such problems with Windows 10.
I have to analyze this problem and advise our customers.
According to the Dutch organization that did the research for the Dutch government, we have the following infos:
- Microsoft systematically and extensively collects data about the individual use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Secretly, without informing the people. According to the Dutch organization, it is hard to find what Microsfoft collects as the data is encrypted.
- Microsoft sends telemetry data to its own servers in the United States.
This is what I found that we can do for our customer:
- Disable Manage the privacy of data monitored by telemetry in Office
- Ban the use of Connected Services
- Not to use SharePoint Oneline
- Block OneDrive
- Lock web version of Office 365
My questions:
1) Did you deal with this case? If yes, what will Microsoft collect?
2) Is it enough to Manage the privacy of data monitored by telemetry in Office ?
3) Do I still have to go through the Report from rijksoverheid.nl ?
Thanks
Our government customers are very angry with Microsoft, but I think this is nothing new as we know such problems with Windows 10.
I have to analyze this problem and advise our customers.
According to the Dutch organization that did the research for the Dutch government, we have the following infos:
- Microsoft systematically and extensively collects data about the individual use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Secretly, without informing the people. According to the Dutch organization, it is hard to find what Microsfoft collects as the data is encrypted.
- Microsoft sends telemetry data to its own servers in the United States.
This is what I found that we can do for our customer:
- Disable Manage the privacy of data monitored by telemetry in Office
- Ban the use of Connected Services
- Not to use SharePoint Oneline
- Block OneDrive
- Lock web version of Office 365
My questions:
1) Did you deal with this case? If yes, what will Microsoft collect?
2) Is it enough to Manage the privacy of data monitored by telemetry in Office ?
3) Do I still have to go through the Report from rijksoverheid.nl ?
Thanks
This isn't hidden, it is in the EULA. The issue is people agree to the EULA without ever reading or understanding what they are agreeing to. Companies seem to go out of their way to create so complex EULAs that no one dare try and read it. When I copied MS' into Word, I believe it was 48 pages long. Completely absurd! It is apparent they just want people to blindly agree, which I'm sure 99% do just that.
MS is no better or worse than Apple, Google, FaceBook, ... they all do it (and some are much more invasive!). Data = $$$.
There are numerous alternatives to get away from MS if you are truly concerned (LINUX, MAC, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, ...).
I, myself, did not upgrade to Win10 because of this very issue, and now am even happier that I didn't considering the never ending issues with Win10 and Office 2016/2019/365. Things have changed, we're no longer living in the 80's, data collection is done everywhere. It is now a part of life. Sad but true.
MS is no better or worse than Apple, Google, FaceBook, ... they all do it (and some are much more invasive!). Data = $$$.
There are numerous alternatives to get away from MS if you are truly concerned (LINUX, MAC, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, ...).
I, myself, did not upgrade to Win10 because of this very issue, and now am even happier that I didn't considering the never ending issues with Win10 and Office 2016/2019/365. Things have changed, we're no longer living in the 80's, data collection is done everywhere. It is now a part of life. Sad but true.
ASKER
@both
Is there any tool to check Microsoft Office privacy settings?
Is there any tool to check Microsoft Office privacy settings?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
The issue is that all of the available information is vague, so no one truly knows what is being collect, little alone how it is being used. MS is not being transparent, but then neither are the other companies.
With verbage like "Some of the software features send or receive information when using those features", "you agree that Microsoft may collect, use, and disclose the information", ... But you have to go digging and have a few hours to read through everything
https://www.microsoft.com/
https://privacy.microsoft.
https://www.microsoft.com/
The following post explains the real issue with Windows 10 http://www.devhut.net/2015
With verbage like "Some of the software features send or receive information when using those features", "you agree that Microsoft may collect, use, and disclose the information", ... But you have to go digging and have a few hours to read through everything
https://www.microsoft.com/
https://privacy.microsoft.
https://www.microsoft.com/
The following post explains the real issue with Windows 10 http://www.devhut.net/2015
Is there any tool to check Microsoft Office privacy settings? <-- You need to go through the overall privacy settings.
Start, Settings, Privacy and work through all the settings.
The data is aggregated and encrypted so there is not any personal danger to you.
Start, Settings, Privacy and work through all the settings.
The data is aggregated and encrypted so there is not any personal danger to you.
Amazon, Google, and Facebook as well as others of that ilk, make their money by selling personally identifiable information to people who say they want to sell you stuff.
Microsoft claims to collect the non-personally identifiable information so that it can better understand how customers in general use the Office products. I don't know that there have been any instances where people have exposed some other nefarious use of this data. You are asked when you install office to agree or not agree to send info to Microsoft so although the agreement is obscure, it is there.
The problem with putting stuff in EULA's is that the customer has no option. They can refuse to sign the EULA and not be able to use the product they paid for or they can sign it, hand over their first born, and hope for the best. People are finally waking up to this being a problem and lobbying their governments to stop the practice. This is especially a problem with phone apps. The only reason a game app needs to collect your geo data and contact list is because they intend to sell the info and to be marketable, it must be personally identifiable. That's why I don't install games or ANY "freeware" EVER on my phone or computer. NOTHING is free and anyone who believes that software is "free" is just plain stupid.
I remind you all to read 1984. Big Brother is watching you! He appears to be benign in the case of Microsoft but I'm not so sure about the others.
My boss gave me a Dot for Christmas the year before last. I opened it Christmas eve while we were opening other presents. The grandchildren entered my email but we lost interest because it didn't seem to do anything. Two days later when I got online again, I was getting adds for items that the girls got for Christmas. I powered off Alexa and put her back in the box and into a closet. I elected to not be spied upon in my own home.
Microsoft claims to collect the non-personally identifiable information so that it can better understand how customers in general use the Office products. I don't know that there have been any instances where people have exposed some other nefarious use of this data. You are asked when you install office to agree or not agree to send info to Microsoft so although the agreement is obscure, it is there.
The problem with putting stuff in EULA's is that the customer has no option. They can refuse to sign the EULA and not be able to use the product they paid for or they can sign it, hand over their first born, and hope for the best. People are finally waking up to this being a problem and lobbying their governments to stop the practice. This is especially a problem with phone apps. The only reason a game app needs to collect your geo data and contact list is because they intend to sell the info and to be marketable, it must be personally identifiable. That's why I don't install games or ANY "freeware" EVER on my phone or computer. NOTHING is free and anyone who believes that software is "free" is just plain stupid.
I remind you all to read 1984. Big Brother is watching you! He appears to be benign in the case of Microsoft but I'm not so sure about the others.
My boss gave me a Dot for Christmas the year before last. I opened it Christmas eve while we were opening other presents. The grandchildren entered my email but we lost interest because it didn't seem to do anything. Two days later when I got online again, I was getting adds for items that the girls got for Christmas. I powered off Alexa and put her back in the box and into a closet. I elected to not be spied upon in my own home.
ASKER
Thanks a lot
From what I have gleaned at Microsoft MVP Global Summits, yes this suffices.
None of the data is personally identifiable.
If you are not happy with the above, you can report it as well.