Microsoft’s Competitive Advantage: Privacy
Today, I attended a lunch at the Berkman Center with Microsoft’s Ira Rubinstein. Ira talked about privacy and how it is built into the Microsoft development model. He mentioned Microsoft’s new layered approach to privacy policies, where a simple front page gives you the highlights, and you can drill down on any point. A bit like the Creative Commons deeds, without the nice icons (maybe there should be privacy concept icons?)
Ira carefully went through a number of scenarios regarding the handling of personally identifiable information in Microsoft applications. As I sat there listening, I wondered “why is he telling us all of this in meticulous detail?” Then it hit me: in a world where Google stores your data and the privacy implications are murky at best, Microsoft has a fascinating competitive advantage: with their desktop apps and their general desktop platform control, they can provide services with clearer, more well thought-out privacy policies, and, interestingly, far more minimalist data retention. Surely, they can’t quite compete with free software, but free software is only part of the picture: who is going to run the online services?
This has always been Google’s weakness, and Microsoft is about to exploit it. A few days ago, I wondered who would have the incentive to deploy privacy? It seems maybe Microsoft will, and may use it as a competitive advantage. Google will have to clarify their privacy strategy soon.
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March 10th, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
[...] of the conversation, prompted by JZ and Ben Adida, revolved around a lawyer’s problem: what happens after a subpoena arrives seeking personally [...]
March 14th, 2007 @ 12:15 am
I don’t see this as a significant advantage. The average consumer is not concerned by this (and rightly so). Why? Because Google hasn’t given them a reason not to trust them. Google provides various assurances (like no human reads your email - it’s only accessible to programs - or something like that.) Unless you think Google is lying about that, most people are happy enough with that. And if you think you can’t trust Google that much, you’ll be out of luck using the Internet given your lack of control over your data as it hops about once it is off your host, no?
March 14th, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
I think Google doesn’t provide much in terms of privacy assurances. Few people have been horribly burned so far, but that will likely change as businesses start using Google Apps, etc… There is certainly a lack of awareness of the privacy issues regarding storing your data at a service provider, you’re right. But that awareness may go up significantly as soon as there a few bad cases.
I’m less worried about data in transit than I am about data stored on hard drives, backups, etc…. But of course that doesn’t mean one should be careless about data in transit, you’re right.
March 15th, 2007 @ 9:51 am
[...] a notable improvement in their privacy practices, which reinforces the opinion I expressed in a post a few days ago. Could it be that Google is starting to feel consumer demand for privacy? I think it’s [...]
April 6th, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
[...] Desktop for Mac, and that got me thinking again about the Google and Privacy issue I wrote about here and here. I said that Microsoft might have an interesting privacy advantage, because your data [...]
September 23rd, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
Hello, my name is Rhys Paul Hovey, computer scientists. I was living in Hollywood california, working in the games industry, studying to be an actor, and I called the FBI looking for information on scientology. Science then, I have fallen victim to a high tech mafia, that uses satalite technologies to torture their victims with SOUND,. queit but audible sound. These criminals also are capable of decoding “subvocal” speech directly from neural tissues, from long distances. This text drives a computer AI which tortures the victim. You (Ben Adida)are in an assocation list that is being sent to the FBI in the best interests of national security and the saftey of America and Canada, please be forwarned. MIT is also being investigated by me (an applicant to cybercrime divisions) Joseph Pomepi, Collin Phillips, David Poepeil and several others. Joseph Pompei has been caught lying about this sound technology as well. The ACLU is also a suspect. You all may be related to a 9-11 terrorist cover. Please feel free to visit me at 1949 comox st, in Vancouver, Canada.
September 23rd, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
Hello, my name is Rhys Paul Hovey, computer scientist. I was living in Hollywood california, working in the games industry, studying to be an actor, and I called the FBI looking for information on scientology. Since then, I have fallen victim to a high tech mafia, that uses satalite technologies to torture their victims with SOUND,. queit but audible sound. These criminals also are capable of decoding “subvocal” speech directly from neural tissues, from long distances. This text drives a computer AI which tortures the victim. You (Ben Adida)are in an assocation list that is being sent to the FBI in the best interests of national security and the saftey of America and Canada, please be forwarned. MIT is also being investigated by me (an applicant to cybercrime divisions) Joseph Pomepi, Collin Phillips, David Poepeil and several others. Joseph Pompei has been caught lying about this sound technology as well. The ACLU is also a suspect. You all may be related to a 9-11 terrorist cover. Please feel free to visit me at 1949 comox st, in Vancouver, Canada.
October 6th, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
[...] apparently that’s not okay with Thomson Reuters, the makers of EndNote. Danny Weitzner explains: The latest beta release of Zotero will read and write EndNote’s proprietary metadata format. In [...]