In a blog posted by Reid Kuhn, Partner Group Program Manager, Windows Phone Engineering Team, Microsoft, the Company said, ” As part of our ongoing commitment to consumer privacy, we are taking an additional step to provide even more transparency about how we gather information through managed driving to provide location-based services.”
Microsoft has shared relevant portions of the source code to provide those interested an opportunity to review the code they use for collection of such information.
The source code which is hosted on the MSDN web site demonstrates both the type and amount of data Microsoft collects when surveying Wi-Fi access points through managed driving.
Elaborating on the procedure, the post said, “We use vehicles to gather available data, which is commonly referred to as ‘managed driving’. The vehicles are equipped with mobile phones that survey Wi-Fi access points and cell tower locations.”
Microsoft emphasized that the mobile phones that they use for the surveys are only capable of observing the same data points about Wi-Fi access points that any other phone, computer or other device connecting to Wi-Fi access points can observe.
The Company said that this data helped them in providing the location capabilities and service for Windows Phone and Bing that consumers demand including search results, movie times, weather, maps and directions based on a device’s current location.
“The code, developed by the Windows Phone Engineering team, uses publicly documented interfaces for accessing cell tower, Wi-Fi data access point and GPS data. In addition to collecting and uploading GPS, Wi-Fi and cell data, it also includes other management and administrative functions related to provisioning, self-upgrade, self-recovery and diagnostics,” Microsoft said.
On the privacy issue Microsoft emphasised, “Additionally, and important for respecting consumer privacy, the software does not intercept wireless data transmissions from consumers’ computers (so called “payload” data). The software neither observes nor records any information that may contain user content transmitted over a network. At Microsoft, we place a priority on privacy and take steps to help ensure that our products and services protect consumers’ information. Sharing this source code, and developing Windows Phone 7 with privacy in mind, is part of that commitment.”
Microsoft rival Google had gotten into a lot of trouble for accidentally collecting user data including user names and passwords from unprotected Wi-Fi networks in the US, Europe and other markets.