Microsoft reduced the duration of storage of private data

The personal data of Internet users will be stored for only 6 months by Microsoft, as against 18 now. “Microsoft will clear all IP addresses (numbers that identify every computer that connects to the Internet) related to research after six months,” said John Vassallo, the board of Microsoft Office for European Affairs, during a press conference in Brussels Tuesday, January 19. The change should be implemented “in the next twelve to eighteen months” and worth “for all users in the world”, even if the decision falls within the political context in Europe, “said Brendon Lynch, an expert group to issues of private data.

The maximum storage time of 6 months was recommended in spring 2008 by “Article 29 Committee, an umbrella organization of European data protection as the French CNIL. In an advisory opinion, he also highlighted the importance of a complete and irreversible anonymity of data stored by search engines so that they can no longer be linked with the user.

Yahoo, Google
Last December, it’s Yahoo! which has announced plans to reduce that period to 90 days, against 13 months in advance. “Yahoo! Make anonymous identification data of users in 90 days, with limited exceptions for reasons of fraud, security or legal obligations,” said the group had. Google had also announced in September 2008 it limited to 9 months shelf life of the record of searches made by users on its pages.

The collection of personal data of users can build a profile of their interests. The search engines say they use it to improve their service, with better matches the expectations of users. But it is also used to deliver targeted advertisements.

It is “possible that the Commission take the initiative to regulate”, but “this is probably not the best method, according to John Vassallo who prefer” a mixture of self-regulation by industry and dialogue with regulators.

Microsoft also noted the importance of a complete and irreversible anonymity of data, another point which had attracted the attention of the Committee Article 29.
“When we make anonymous (data), now after eighteen months, we remove the entire IP address and the entire identities stored on cookies,” said Brendon Lynch. Google, however, “to always keep a significant portion of the IP address”, which allows them to re-identify thereafter.

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