Microsoft spies on Windows users

We all know the Microsoft policy on security and privacy.
But what do you say when Microsoft spies on you?
When Microsoft logs what kind of software you have on your hard drive?

According to a The Register article (28/02/2003):

“German hardware site tecChannel suggests a list of software installed on an XP machine is sent to Microsoft when users run Windows Update.”

“When patches are downloaded, a few kilobytes of data are sent in the opposite direction over a secure SSL channel.”

“[...] According to tecChannel, the information sent to Microsoft includes details of all the software installed in a machine, not only Microsoft applications.”

“The latest version of Windows Update Privacy Statement (which dates from last October) states: ‘Windows Update must collect a certain amount of configuration information from your computer’. [...] But there’s no mention of collecting data on software from other vendors running on a machine. And this software can’t be updated using Windows Update. So why is Microsoft collecting this data?”

Further information

• The original tecChannel article can be bought for about 2 US-Dollar.
• Slashdot has also written about this and links to a

  “related article from ITWorld that deals with Microsoft’s transferring of information through Windows Media Player. When you open up Media Player it sends information back to Microsoft like what movies you play, what songs you listen to and where they come from.”

• If you’re not ready to give up Windows yet, you can atleast dump MS Media Player. Try the free UltraPlayer that

  “handles the playing chores for MP3, WMA, RealAudio, WAV, MIDI, CD Audio, Internet radio, AND video files (Windows Media, AVI, MPEG, Real). It looks and sounds great, it’s lightweight and powerful, and it’s more handy than a big bucket full of llamas and aliens.” (source: UltraPlayer Web Site)

• Finally, make sure you tell Bill Gates what you think about his company’s products.