back to article Lawsuit alleges that Windows Phone 7 tracks users

Microsoft is facing a lawsuit that claims it tracks the location of its smartphone users, even if they ask not to be followed. A class action suit was proposed against Microsoft in a filing in the Seattle federal court. The filing alleged that the software giant had lied in its letter to Congress in May this year, when it said …

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  1. Blue eyed boy
    Angel

    > Microsoft declined to comment when contacted by The Reg. ®

    You mean - <gasp> - shock horror - you can actually *contact* Microsoft??!!

    1. 404
      Devil

      Microsoft knows...

      ... that they can accomplish epic fsckups (NT4.0 Server SP3 anyone?) and will at least have somebody talk to you, whereas Apple can do no wrong and admit nothing.

      <random thought> If Apple had a clothing line, you imagine the IP lawsuits over black turtlenecks? </random thought>

      ;)

  2. Steve Renouf
    WTF?

    Yes! Good! Stop the bastards!

    That is all... move along...

  3. Jacqui

    Microsoft declined to comment

    too busy quaffing from the vodka fountains? ;-)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is the allegation true?

    Or is it typical ambulance chasing?

    1. Doug 3
      Holmes

      re: Is the allegation true?

      one would think it would be very easy to figure out by putting a WiFi connected WP7 on a sniffed network and turn on the camera application. I see one problem though and that is finding someone with a WP7 device.

  5. Wile E. Veteran
    Flame

    Tracking is contagious

    The then-latest update a month or two back to Angry Birds on Android not only wanted my location data but access to my SMS messages, contact list, phone and identity and full internet access. That's just too much personal data - especially for a damned GAME. I declined the update and removed AB from my phone. Didn't play it very much anyway.

    I have some US Govt "Sensitive" level data in my contact list and I just don't need some fscking GAME accessing it!

  6. Mr Young
    Happy

    All these operating systems track users!

    Shocking! I would never has guess that

    1. MacroRodent
      Flame

      True, and here some laws are needed

      Collecting all sorts of data digitally is just too easy, almost free. So it seems to me these companies do it just on whim. Or even forget in some test logging code that should have been removed at release, but wasn't.

      The only way to make technology companies to sit up and take notice is put very harsh sanctions on such privacy violations. Like confiscation of every unit containing the violation. This might have the effect of actually making them review their products from this point of view.

  7. Cormu
    Coat

    please..

    Like i would care anyway , Im sure its not to hard to disable if u dont like it and anyway if u are so sensitive about such things U can just by a normal phone with no gps or data connection , what makes u think the cell phone companys dont keep tracking data of callers from cell tower locations anyway ...

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Please, please

    @Cormu

    Not sure what phone/PC you use to write comments but you appear to have been able to disable the shift keys and don't seem able to use other grammatical aids, such as full stops and apostrophes. An example of user control going too far?

    If you had read the article you would have seen that the court case is about a tracking capability that the user isn't informed about, which makes it a little hard to disable - don't you agree?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Alert

      @ac

      That's nothing check out brain dead for ever's 38 key (a-z 0-9 space & enter) keyboard: http://forums.theregister.co.uk/user/34875/ unfortunately his mouse has enough buttons for him to be able to click post. At least Cormu started and ended well.

  9. Frank Bitterlich
    Holmes

    So what's up with that claim now?

    Any evidence yet? Can't somebody with w WinPhone7 device verify this (I think it should be easy if it does this "everytime you start the camera app")....?

    Or is this another case of "HELP - MY PHONE IS SPYING ON ME" because it inserts coords into the Exif data of your pics?

    Come on, El Reg, a bit more details, please...?

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