Microsoft ... watching you as you watch movies (?)

Bard · 23-02-2002 2:14am #1

From http://www.pcplus.co.uk/article.asp?id=31898&CAT=NEWS :

Microsoft's DVD spy

Media Player reports on what you watch

It appears that Microsoft's Media Player has a little extra which isn't mentioned anywhere. It contacts a database to retrieve DVD titles, not so unusual, but it also identifies you and logs what you are watching. Shades of Big Brother here. Microsoft is highly unlikely to be doing anything with this information but the point remains, why is it collecting it? It could possibly be used for user profiling, possibly as useful marketing data. If the information is sold on to another party that's a fairly blatant infringement of people's privacy. The idea that the internet can be used to build extensive user profiles, so you can be targeted with suitable advertising is an attractive one for many companies. Whether or not you'll appreciate your personal life reduced to a set of marketing data and traded about is another matter. The least Microsoft could do is tell you exactly what's going on and give you the chance to opt-out.

Lex_Diamonds · 23-02-2002 5:03pm

Anyone who uses Media Player to watch DVD's deserves to be spied on and sent copious amounts of pron spam:)

po0k · 24-02-2002 2:42am

YEAH! SPATULA PR0N!

EvilGeorge · 25-02-2002 5:23pm

I thought you need a special codec to get that thing to play DVDs - crashed my machine - windvd your only man.

suppafly · 26-02-2002 1:39pm

I didn't actually know that you could play DVD's on windows media player. I use the conmpag dvd player that came with the computer. But yeah thats pretty dodgy what Bard is saying about being spyied on. its spooky!

Microsoft ... watching you as you watch movies (?)

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