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	Profile Center SafeInternet			Microsoft.com Statement of Privacy This document was last updated February 23, 2001. At Microsoft, we are committed to protecting your privacy and to developing technology that gives you the most powerful and secure online experience. You can travel through most of our site without giving us any information about yourself. But sometimes we do need information to provide services that you request, and this statement of privacy explains data collection and use in those situations. Please read the complete Microsoft.com privacy statement. Collecting your Personal Information We will ask you when we need information that personally identifies you (personal information) or allows us to contact you. Generally, this information is requested when you are asked to register before entering a contest, ordering e-mail newsletters, joining a limited-access premium site, or when purchasing and registering Microsoft products. Personal information collected by Microsoft.com often is limited to e-mail address, language, country or location, but may include other information when needed to provide a service you requested. For example: If you choose to make a purchase in the Shop area of the Web site, we will request personal information such as: name, address, telephone number, credit card number and shipping information. When you buy and install a new product, we may ask you to register your purchase electronically. When you do, we keep this registration information on file with any information you've already given us on previous visits to our Web site. This is considered your personal profile. Microsoft.com uses Microsoft Passport as its registration service. Passport allows you to access your personal information at Microsoft, plus shop securely at many other participating Passport Web sites, by signing in with your e-mail address and a password. When you register for a Passport, your profile is created. If you ever want to review or update your profile, simply visit the Profile Center and edit your personal information. We’ll ask you to disclose your Microsoft Passport (e-mail address and password) so that only you can access your profile. The Passport service assigns a personal identification number and sends it to your computer in the form of a small text file, called a "cookie." The use of this cookie allows you to visit other participating Passport Web sites without having to sign in to each Web site. To learn more about the Passport service and how Passport uses and protects your personal information, please read the Passport Privacy Statement. Use of your Personal Information We use your personal information for four primary purposes: To make the site easier for you to use by not making you enter your personal information more than once. To help you quickly find software, services or information on Microsoft.com. To help us create and deliver content most relevant to you. To alert you to product upgrades, special offers, updated information and other new services from Microsoft. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, including packaging, mailing and delivering purchases, answering customer questions about products or services, sending postal mail and processing event registration. We will only provide those companies the information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose. Microsoft will disclose your personal information, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Microsoft or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Microsoft and its family of Web sites, and, (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of Microsoft, its Web sites, or the public. Control of your Personal Information When you register, or otherwise give us personal information, Microsoft.com will not share that information with third parties without your permission, other than for the limited exceptions already listed. It will only be used for the purposes stated above. Registering also allows you to tell us how or whether you want Microsoft.com to communicate with you. After registering, go to the Profile Center and establish your preferences in the Contact Options sections. There, you can decide what information you want to receive and how you want to receive it. Or you can tell us not to contact you. Microsoft.com occasionally allows other companies to offer our registered customers information about their products and services, using postal mail only. If you do not want to receive these offers, you should uncheck the box in the Contact Options section in the Profile Center stating, "Microsoft partners can send me postal mail about their services or products." Microsoft.com may send out periodic e-mails informing you of technical service issues related to a product or service you requested. You will not be able to choose to unsubscribe to these mailings, as they are considered an essential part of the service you have chosen. Access to your Personal Information We will provide you with the means to ensure that your personal information is correct and current. You may review and update this information at any time at the Profile Center. You can: View and edit personal information you have already given us. Tell us whether you want Microsoft.com to send you marketing information. Choose whether you want third parties to send you their offers by postal mail. Subscribe or cancel subscriptions to newsletters about our services and products. Security of your Personal Information Microsoft.com strictly protects the security of your personal information and honors your choices for its intended use. We carefully protect your data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Your personal information is never shared outside the company without your permission, except under conditions explained above. Inside the company, data is stored in password-controlled servers with limited access. Your information may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country where Microsoft, its subsidiaries, affiliates or agents are located. You also have a significant role in protecting your information. No one can see or edit your personal information without knowing your Passport and password, so do not share these with others. Protection of Children’s Personal Information The Microsoft.com site does not publish content that is targeted to children. However, if you are concerned about your children providing Microsoft any personal information without your consent, Microsoft offers a Kids Passport account. It allows parents to give parental consent for the collection, use and sharing of children’s (ages 12 and under) personal information online. To learn more about this service, visit Kids Passport on www.passport.com. Use of Cookies To ensure we are publishing content customers need and want, Microsoft.com collects aggregated site-visitation statistics using cookies. We do not track individuals' use of the site. When someone visits the site, a cookie is placed on the customer’s machine (if the customer accepts cookies) or is read if the customer has visited the site previously. Web beacons, also known as clear gif technology, or action tags, assist in delivering the cookie. This technology tells us how many visitors clicked on key elements (such as links or graphics) on a Microsoft.com Web page. We do not use this technology to access your personally identifiable information on Microsoft.com; it is a tool we use to compile aggregated statistics about Microsoft.com Web site usage. We do not share tracking information outside of Microsoft, and do not allow other companies to place clear gifs on our sites. Microsoft also uses cookies in connection with the use of your Passport account on the Microsoft.com Web site as explained above. If you choose to not have your browser accept cookies from the Microsoft.com Web site, you will be able to view the text on the screens, however you will not experience a personalized visit nor will you be able to subscribe to the service offerings on the site. Questions about cookies? Read more. TRUSTe Certification Microsoft is a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy Program. TRUSTe is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to build trust and confidence in the Internet by promoting the use of fair information practices. Because Microsoft.com wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, we have agreed to publish our information practices and have our privacy practices reviewed for compliance by TRUSTe. By displaying the TRUSTe trustmark, Microsoft.com has agreed to disclose to you: Any personally identifiable information collected from you through the Web site. The organization collecting the information. How the information is used. With whom the information may be shared. What choices are available to you regarding collection, use and distribution of the information. The kind of security procedures in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information under Microsoft’s control. How you can correct inaccuracies in the information. If you have questions regarding this statement, you should first contact homepage@Microsoft.com. If you do not receive acknowledgement of your inquiry or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, you should then contact TRUSTe at their Web site, http://www.truste.org/users/users_watchdog.html. TRUSTe will serve as a liaison with Microsoft.com to resolve your concerns. Changes to this Statement Microsoft.com will occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will also revise the "last updated" date at the top of the privacy statement. For material changes to this Statement, Microsoft.com will notify you by placing prominent notice on the Web site. Contact Information Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this Statement of Privacy, please contact us by e-mail, or postal mail. Microsoft.com Privacy Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington 98052 © 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. Last Updated: February 23, 2001