back to article Leaked MS ad video parodies Chrome as surveillance tech

A leaked Microsoft ad, meant only for internal consumption, parodies a Google campaign as it portrays Google Chrome as a data-snaffling privacy-stealing parasite. Chrome is depicted as a surveillance technology to make money from private information for the benefit of Google. Redmond's slick propaganda video is a dig at …

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  1. Mondo the Magnificent
    Meh

    Actually...

    ..it's a great bit of "advertising" and there's more than an element of truth in the matter too...

    How was it leaked from Microsoft? Must have been an IE Zero Day vulnerability

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Actually...

      No, it was a leaked email using the email password change vulnerability in Gmail...

      1. Richard Plinston

        Re: Actually...

        > No, it was a leaked email using the email password change vulnerability in Gmail...

        Microsoft uses GMail ?

        Whoda thort.

    2. thecakeis(not)alie

      "Great bit of advertising"...

      ...if you can stand the overwhelming hypocrisy of Microsoft doing the exact same fucking thing as Google.

      Excuse me, I have to go uninstall the goddamned Bing Bar, Microsoft included it in the latest Windows updates. Again.

      The only difference between Microsoft and Google as regards their commercialisation, monetisation and abuse of my privacy is that I get products and services I actually want from Google. I get ??? from Microsoft in exchange for same.

      Fuck 'em both, I say. Firefox with full shields up. You'll have to pry that browser from my cold, dead...

      1. big_D Silver badge

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        I've never had the Bing bar installed on my machine... I've removed it off other peoples, but it has never tainted any of my machines.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        Bing Bar in Windows Updates? Where do you get updates from? I would check it...

        Anyway Chrome tries to install with Flash, Avast, and many other downloads. Just last month my sister asked my why her web browser changed (she uses Firefox) - she updated the AV and got Chrome - like a virus.

      3. QtheMisanthrope

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        "Excuse me, I have to go uninstall the goddamned Bing Bar, Microsoft included it in the latest Windows updates. Again."

        There's a simple solution to this: actually check what updates you install every month (i.e. just untick the bing bar)

      4. Big_Ted
        Devil

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        At least Google are paying for firefox or you would be stuck, not quite so evil then.....

      5. cambsukguy

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        You perform windows updates? Your machine? Then don't run Windows - I have heard there are viable alternatives (I *have* heard it, I just haven't seen one).

        There, solved, Firefox on Linux, perfect solution - I am amazed that all the moaners here even need to moan, they can just run Ubuntu (or some such) and Firefox (or some such). Add a lovely Jolla 'phone (or a Firefox 'phone).

        Us weird windows users will run our unstable, useless OS that never works (I do hope I get to the end of this post before the inevitable BSOD - I have heard of it, I just haven't actually seen one, just kidding).

        I will keep using Bing because it isn't Google and has nice pictures (which has to be more important than results right? - gee, I hope I can find that pesky address using Bing).

        I couldn't care less if Google advertise to me of course, I prefer to see ads for Lumia 1020s on Amazon rather than My Little Pony or something.

        I just prefer Bing and Windows to alternatives, all of which I have used (well, almost all).

      6. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        "Microsoft included it in the latest Windows updates. Again."

        Bing Bar has always been in the Optional updates and still is.....

        And Microsoft don't read your emails and your chats...That's the big difference.

        1. Dan 55 Silver badge
          FAIL

          Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

          There is an option in Windows Update to treat new products as important updates (or similar wording). Thus Bing and other assorted nonsense gets downloaded automagically.

        2. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

          Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

          Bullshit. Microsoft reads my e-mails in Outlook.com, Office 365, my chats on Skype, Lync, MSN Messenger, etc.

          They've reduced the security of Skype to enable them to do so. So please, can the bull.

      7. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "Great bit of advertising"...

        Isn't that the slightest bit misleading when I'm quite sure that both Bing and the Bing Bar can be easily excluded from Windows Update by simply "hiding them"?

        BTW, as I understand it, IE11 has far fewer security vulnerabilities than either Firefox or Chrome...Can someone PLEASE make a web browser that I have to pay for that guarantees user privacy and lack of datamining, and does not rely on either JAVA or Flash?!?

        Now THERE is a business opportunity!!!!!!!!!!!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Actually...

      Maybe it was via a Chrome zero Day vulnerability? There are a lot more of those to choose from than IE ones....

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    MS is fighting a lost battle...

    ... most people lower their pants as soon as they see the word "free".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: MS is fighting a lost battle...

      Except in the case of Linux distros. eg, the uproar regarding the Amazon tie in with Ubuntu.*

      *This is not a 'Linux is Great' post, more an example that it isn't always the case depending on the pyscho-socio makeup of the group in question.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "A leaked Microsoft ad, meant only for internal consumption"

    Yes, my company's always doing that too, spending money making adverts we only show internally, and really really hope don't leak out to YouTube ....

    Actually, no, they're not. Nobody does that.

    1. largefile

      Actually you are wrong. I work in the film/video business in the Seattle market and have worked countless shoots over the years for internal Microsoft videos. Many of these have pretty high production values and they are definitely for internal use only. In fact I know of at least one recent instance where a vendor who had edited such a video was banned because he posted it on his Vimeo page.

      Heck even the public presentations don't get released in high quality. Case in point was Bill Gates "Last Day" video that was presented at his final CES Keynote. Do a youtube search for Bill Gates Last Day and all you can find are shaky cam handheld video from cell phones at the event. Microsoft is notoriously tight fisted with that sort of material.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Way to massively miss the point.

        You don't see the difference between making a high quality video for Bill Gates "Last Day" presentation, and a high quality video that parodies Chrome, then whooops, oh, did that leak to the web, oh, silly, silly me ....

        Of course you do.

  4. PhilipJ

    this would be a great ad for IE launch on android

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "this would be a great ad for IE launch on android"

      Good idea. Android makes Microsoft products look secure...

  5. Roger Greenwood
    Happy

    So my searches etc are synchronised across devices?

    Sounds like a good idea, I might try it out. Thanks for the info.

    1. Amorous Cowherder
      Thumb Up

      Re: So my searches etc are synchronised across devices?

      Yes and unlike MS, different devices and systems from different manufacturers!

  6. Amorous Cowherder
    Facepalm

    For the love of....

    Like any of them are squeaky clean! I'm sure old BIlly Boy and dear Uncle Stevie Ballmer set up Bing out of the goodness of their hearts. Of course as we know Windows is completely philanthropic venture designed to make the world a better place! Heck even Shuttleworth is out of make cash out of the world's most fee O/S.

    Now remind MS, weren't you lot one of the "dirty-dozen" who happily sent all our info over to those fun loving folks in the NSA?

    Give it a rest MS, you're just as bad as the rest, you just don't make it as obvious!

  7. Mike Banahan

    Pot this is Toaster

    Kettle is working on another channel and unable to receive your transmissions. Out.

  8. poopypants

    This advertising campaign is succeeding

    in convincing me that Microsoft is still as sleazy and disreputable as they have always been.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft would never do such a thing...

    ...Apart from watching what you clicked on in a Google search (i.e. a web page that had nothing to do with Microsoft) so that Bing could replicate those searches. Both stealing user's data and coptying Google's search results a double whammy!

  10. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

    Echos of Netscape

    Interesting declaration of war, this (and no, I don't believe this was "leaked", I call that purposely releasing).

    The issues I see is that Google is not Netscape.

    It is not depending on MS to play nice to survive, it has a massive pile of cash and it has no problems with playing dirty as it is AFAIK using the same strategies judging by behaviour and pending court cases.

    What's more, it is already busy stealing MS' lunch money, and it is already embedded in a sphere where MS would like to play (which is IMHO what this is about).

    I think I'm going to get some popcorn, this will make for great entertainment...

  11. big_D Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Skype made Skype

    easier to crack, before MS bought it...

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Now I see

    It was all the staff told to "make sure this doesn't get on Youtube (wink, wink)" uploading at the same time that took down azure.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    "Redmond will struggle to claim the moral high ground against Google over user privacy"

    Google would struggle to gain the high ground against a limbo dancing snake.

  14. Fihart

    Agree with everything....

    .....that it says except where it reads to make a profit "off of you" .

    Forgive my pedantry but "from you" surely.

    Bigger picture -- hope the current MS campaign scares enough punters that it eventually scares Google.

    Meanwhile I'll use DuckDuckGo for my searches because it produces less paid-for junk.

  15. Jim 59

    Private

    None of these big companies can resist touching our private data, but Google resists the temptation less than most. MS is slightly better for not ad-mining email, so give them a (very small amount of) credit for that.

  16. Big_Ted
    Thumb Down

    Oh well

    TBH I couldn't care less about what Google do to target ads for me, I use adblock and don't look at ads anyway.

    I never send an email with any content I wouldn't be happy to have someone like a mum etc reading it. Anything else goes in the snailmail post.

    I use Google because they give me what I want and have changed my laptop to a chromebook with GSM in it for on the go, I love the fact that my bookmarks etc etc are synched and that my old email from Blueyonder can still be read via gmail even though I'm no longer a Virgin customer.

    MS are becoming only relevent at work as far as I am concerned as others push them out of all the growing markets for non enterprise use.

    As for people moaning bout Google and praising Firefox, don't forget who is paying for it, yeh Google is.....

  17. hammarbtyp

    I'm pretty sure the reason it is 'leaked internal' is that it is pretty close to slander and an official release would have a lawsuit thrown at it before you could say 'Googleplex'

    Anyway I am shocked that Google has been making money from me for years. I was sure that they were a charity and all this free stuff was just large scale philanthropy.

    However I know one Seattle based company that has been gouging me for years. The main difference being that at least I get something useful from Google.

  18. ratfox
    WTF?

    Is this News?

    Video was posted on YouTube last May. Hello?

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch

      Re: Is this News?

      Maybe all these sites reporting on it should change the headline to fit: "Nobody notices MS viral video for six months (slow news day brouhaha)"

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ads?

    Never had an interesting ad, so I'm guessing that all that data they've mine has not told them that I like gadgets and sci-fi...

    Wonder if they've ever thought of asking?

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shocked! I must tweet this and post it on facebook, linked in....

    Oh, wait.

  21. Alan Denman

    What's hiding under the bonnet Microsoft?

    Sorry, can't say, our software is proprietary produced in Israel.

    arf arf.

  22. Alan Denman

    Quack Quack

    Meanwhile I'll use DuckDuckGo .

    Who use Microsoft Bing.

    Quack quack quack.

  23. This post has been deleted by its author

  24. WatAWorld

    Attack ads worked really well for Apple

    Attack ads worked really well for Apple, and Apple's attack ads were based on squareness and snobbishness.

    This is quite a good ad based on facts, Google does spy on us in an outrageous manner.

    Of course Google does have permission in the TOS, but people don't read that.

    And, unlike the US government, Google doesn't kill people or destroy their careers based on what it finds by spying. Google is merely serving us advertising we are likely to be interested in.

  25. Mr. Balise

    This would be possibly the most hypocritical line they've promoted so far.

  26. largefile

    Google Wins!

    Google has beaten Microsoft soundly in this battle. It took them far fewer years to earn the title Evil Empire. "Do no harm!"

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Compared to the comprehensive fucking over we've had from Microsoft, google doesn't even tickle.

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