Windows Internet Explorer (Pre-Release Version 8) Privacy Statement

Published: March 3, 2008

At Microsoft, we're working hard to protect your privacy, while delivering products that bring you the performance, power and convenience you desire in your personal computing. This privacy statement explains the data collection and use practices of Internet Explorer pre-release (Beta 1) version 8 ("Internet Explorer"). This is a preliminary disclosure that focuses on features that communicate with the Internet and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products or services. Because this software is a pre-release version, it may not work the way the final version of the software will. Functionality and default settings may change in the final, commercial version.

Internet Explorer is designed to make it easy to browse and interact with websites on your intranet or on the Internet. Certain standard information is sent to every website you visit, such as your IP address, browser type and language, access times and referring website addresses. This information may be logged on those sites' web servers. What information is logged and how that information is used depends on the privacy policies of the websites you visit.

Internet Explorer has certain features that may impact or help you to protect your privacy. The sections below describe some of these features.

Activities

Activities let you use web service providers more quickly and easily. For example, you can highlight a word on a website, right click, and select the "Define with Encarta" activity to obtain a definition of a word without having to navigate to a separate website.

Internet Explorer includes several activities, including search, mapping, definition, and blogging activities using Microsoft Windows Live web services. Activities can be added and removed via the Add-on Management feature. When you use an activity, the title of the current webpage, the full web address or URL of the current webpage, your computer’s IP address, and any selected content may be sent to the service provider. If you use an activity provided by Microsoft, the information sent is subject to the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement, which is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=31493. If you use an activity provided by a third party, use of the information sent will be subject to the third party’s privacy policy.

Add-on Management

Internet Explorer's Add-on Management feature lets you view, enable, and disable the list of add-ons which can be loaded by Internet Explorer. Some add-ons also can be deleted from your computer by using this feature. Add-ons you can manage include browser helper objects, ActiveX controls, toolbar extensions, explorer bars, browser extensions, search providers, activity providers, and email settings.

To view or modify the add-ons on your computer by launching Manage Add-ons:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, click Manage Add-ons, and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons.
2.	To disable an add-on, select it in the list in the Manage Add-ons dialog box and select the Disable radio button.
3.	To enable an add-on, select it in the list in the Manage Add-ons dialog box and select the Enable radio button.
4.	Click OK to confirm. Note: Disabling an add-on does not remove it from your computer. It simply prevents Internet Explorer from executing the add-on's code-it does not prevent other software from executing the add-on. If an add-on is disabled or deleted, website pages that rely on that add-on may not work as expected. For more information on Add-ons, click the "Learn more about add-ons" help link in the Manage Add-ons dialog box.

Application Compatibility Logging

This feature in Internet Explorer is designed for use by Developers and IT Professionals to determine the compatibility of their website with Internet Explorer. When you activate this feature, Internet Explorer logs data points about your interaction with webpages in an event log, which can be viewed with the Windows Event Viewer. These events describe failures that might have happened on the site and can include information about specific controls and webpages that failed. By default, this information may be viewed by all users on the computer unless an administrator restricts this access. For more information on logs and the use of the Windows Event Viewer, see the Windows Help topic "Event Viewer".

AutoComplete

Internet Explorer's AutoComplete feature lets you more quickly fill out web forms and navigate to websites you have visited in the past. AutoComplete collects and stores in the registry on your computer the data you type in web form text boxes and the address bar. If you choose to use AutoComplete for passwords, they will be stored encrypted on your computer. AutoComplete information is not shared with other users of your computer.

The first time you submit a web form, you will see a message box that asks if you'd like to turn the AutoComplete functionality on. To turn AutoComplete off and clear AutoComplete's history:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	On the Content tab, in the AutoComplete section, click Settings. In the AutoComplete Settings dialog box, uncheck the appropriate check boxes for the AutoComplete options you do not wish to use.
3.	To clear AutoComplete or web address history, click the General tab. Under Browsing History, click Delete. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click the Delete Forms and Delete Passwords buttons.
4.	To clear web address entries, follow the steps for Clear History below.

Automatic Crash Recovery

As you browse the web, Internet Explorer's Automatic Crash Recovery feature stores information about your browsing session on your hard disk in the event of a crash, hang, or other unexpected shutdown. If your browsing session is shut down unexpectedly, Internet Explorer offers you the opportunity to resume your last browsing session.

Automatic Crash Recovery stores the following information:

•	The URL of the webpage in each tab
•	Each tab's back/forward history
•	The arrangement and ordering of the tabs

To turn off Automatic Crash Recovery*:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	Click the Advanced tab.
3.	In the Browsing section, uncheck Enable automatic crash recovery.

*Note that turning off Automatic Crash Recovery does not prevent Internet Explorer from saving information about your tabs; it only disables the recovery of your tabs or browsing session. None of this information is sent to Microsoft unless you choose to send it, such as in an error report.

AutoSearch from the Address Bar

If you enter text in Internet Explorer's address bar that does not resolve as a valid web address, the AutoSearch functionality will redirect you to your default search provider to help you locate the site you are looking for. To provide this feature, Internet Explorer sends the invalid web address (i.e. the text you typed in the address bar that did not resolve into a valid web address) to your default search provider which returns web address options to your computer. Some other information may also be sent to your default search provider, such as your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. If Bing is your default search provider, the information sent is subject to the Microsoft Online privacy statement at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=31493. If you use a third party default search provider, use of the information sent to the provider will be subject to the third party's privacy policy.

To turn AutoSearch off:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	Click the Advanced tab.
3.	In the Search from the Address bar section, select Do not search from the Address bar.

Clear History

Internet Explorer's History folder contains a list of links to the websites and Windows shell locations (i.e. drives and folders) you have visited recently. None of this history is sent to Microsoft.

To clear the History folder:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	Click the General tab. Under Browsing History, click Delete. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click Delete History.

To no longer retain history:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	In the Browsing History section, click Settings. In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box, adjust the Days to keep pages in history field to 0.

Controlling Cookies

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a website. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a website or web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer.

A cookie is often used to personalize your visit to a website or to save you time. For example, to facilitate a purchase the cookie could contain shopping cart information such as your current selection, as well as contact information such as your name or e-mail address. To help websites track individual visitors, cookies often contain a unique identifier. It is up to the website that created the cookie to disclose to you what information is stored in the cookie and how that information is used.

Blocking Cookies

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. If you decide to block one or more cookies, the websites that use them might not function correctly. For example, if you do not allow cookies at all, you might not be able to view some websites or take advantage of customization features (such as local news and weather, or stock quotes).

If you decide to block all cookies, you can use Internet Explorer's Internet Options to modify your browser settings for cookies as follows:

1.

In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, click Internet Options, and then click the Privacy tab.

2.

Move the slider up to Block All Cookies. On this setting, websites will not be able to store cookies on your computer.

Note: Blocking all cookies may prevent you from accessing many websites. The next two Internet Explorer privacy levels, High and Medium High, may be more suitable. In addition, it is possible to block a cookie for a specific site via the Manage sites dialog on the Privacy tab. Please see Internet Explorer on-line Help for more information.

Removing Old Cookies

Cookies previously saved to your hard drive can still be read unless you remove them. To remove all of your existing cookies:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	On the General tab, Under Browsing History, click Delete. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click Delete Cookies.
3.	Click OK to confirm deletion of all cookies in the Temporary Internet Files folder.

Delete Browsing History

Internet Explorer's Delete Browsing History feature lets you clear with one click the cookies, website passwords that you asked Internet Explorer to save, entries in Internet Explorer's history folder, web form data, temporary Internet files, the Last Tab Group, and files and settings stored by some Internet Explorer Add-ons that have been saved on your computer. You may also clear some of these items individually, as explained in the Removing Old Cookies, AutoComplete, and Clear History sections of this privacy statement.

To use the Delete Browsing History feature:

•	From the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Delete Browsing History.
•	In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click Delete all. Click Yes to confirm. To delete any temporary data stored by add-ons, check the Also delete files and settings stored by add-ons box.

P3P Privacy Policies

Internet Explorer gives you the ability to view a website's P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences standard) privacy policy and compare it to the privacy preferences you have set. Even if a website does not have a P3P privacy policy, it may have a written privacy statement that you can view.

To view a Web site's P3P privacy policy

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Page button, and then click Web Page Privacy Policy.
2.	Double-click the website whose privacy policy you would like to view.

After reviewing a website's P3P privacy policy, you can specify how you want Internet Explorer to handle cookies from that website. If you want Internet Explorer to determine whether or not to allow this website to save cookies on your computer by comparing the privacy policy with your privacy settings, select Compare cookies' Privacy Policy to my settings. If you want Internet Explorer to always allow cookies from this website to be saved on your computer, select Always allow this site to use cookies. If you want Internet Explorer to never allow cookies from this website to be saved on your computer, select Never allow this site to use cookies.

Please note that although Internet Explorer can display a website's P3P privacy policy, Internet Explorer cannot verify that the website complies with its own privacy policy.

Pop-up Blocker

Internet Explorer's Pop-up Blocker helps to block some unwanted pop-up windows from appearing without blocking the pop-up windows you deliberately launch. Pop-up Blocker is turned on by default.

To turn off Pop-up Blocker:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Pop-up Blocker.
2.	Click Turn Off Pop-up Blocker.

You can customize Pop-up Blocker in several ways, including allowing the websites you select to launch pop-ups. To access the Pop-up Blocker settings:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Pop-up Blocker.
2.	Click Pop-up Blocker Settings.

Note that not all pop-up windows can be blocked with Pop-up Blocker. Please see Internet Explorer on-line Help for more information about Pop-up Blocker.

Safety Filter

Safety Filter is designed to help protect you from unsafe websites that are impersonating trusted websites (phishing) or contain threats to your computer. Safety Filter does this by first checking the address of the website you are visiting against a list of website addresses stored on your computer that are believed by Microsoft to be legitimate ("legitimate list"). If you opt in to Safety Filter, addresses that are not on the legitimate list will be sent to Microsoft and checked against a frequently updated list of websites that have been reported to Microsoft as unsafe, suspicious, or legitimate websites. You may also choose to use Safety Filter manually to verify individual sites.

When you use Safety Filter to check websites automatically or manually, the address of the website you are visiting will be sent to Microsoft, together with some standard information from your computer such as IP address, browser type, and Safety Filter version number. To help protect your privacy, the information sent to Microsoft is encrypted.

Information that may be associated with the address, such as search terms or data you entered in forms might be included. For example, if you visited the Microsoft.com search web site at http://search.microsoft.com and entered "MySecret" as the search term, the full address http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?q=MySecret&qsc0=0&FORM=QBMH1&mkt=en-US will be sent. Address strings might unintentionally contain personal information, but this information is not used to identify, contact or advertise to users. Address strings are only used to improve the effectiveness of our products and services.

Statistics about your usage of Safety Filter will also be sent to Microsoft such as the time and total number of websites browsed since an address was sent to Microsoft for analysis. This information, along with the information described above, will be used to analyze the performance and improve the quality of our products and services. Microsoft will not use the information it receives to personally identify you. Some URLs that are sent may be saved to be included in the legitimate list. When saving this information, additional information including Safety Filter and Operating System version, and browser language will be saved.

Safety Filter can be turned on and off from the Internet Explorer Tools menu. For example, to turn on automatic checking of all websites:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Safety Filter.
2.	Click Turn On Safety Filter.

Untrusted Publishers

When you choose to download software from the Internet to your computer with Internet Explorer, Microsoft Authenticode technology is used to help verify the identity of the software's publisher. Authenticode technology checks the software for a valid certificate or signature (that the identity of the software publisher matches the signature and that the signature is still valid). Note that this only helps verify the identity of the software publisher, and does not prevent a poorly written program from being downloaded or run on your computer.

Internet Explorer's Untrusted Publishers feature allows you to block the installation of software from publishers you do not trust. When signed software (such as an ActiveX control) is about to be installed from a website, Internet Explorer's Authenticode dialog will ask you whether you want to install the software. You may choose to:

•	Install the software, or
•	Trust all content from that software publisher so that it will be installed in the future without asking you, or
•	Block signed software from that publisher.

When you indicate software should be blocked, the certificate used to sign the software is placed on a block list. Any software signed with a blocked certificate will not be installed. Some publishers use different certificates to sign their software so you may be asked multiple times whether you wish to block software from a given publisher. The block list applies to all users of your computer and can only be modified by a user who is an administrator.

To unblock a software publisher:

1.	In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
2.	On the Content tab, in the Certificates section, click Certificates.
3.	Select the Untrusted Publisher tab.
4.	Select the Publisher you wish to unblock and click the Remove button.

Welcome Page

The first time you start Internet Explorer after installing or upgrading, Internet Explorer will launch a webpage where you can select certain settings. These settings include choosing your default search provider, language preferences, or opting into the Customer Experience Improvement Program. The webpage uses a cookie or a web beacon (a tiny or invisible image used to track webpage usage) that lets Microsoft count the number of successful Internet Explorer installations. We use the collected information to develop aggregate statistics - we will not collect any information on this page that will be used to identify or contact you. For more information about cookies and web beacons, see the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement.

WebSlices

WebSlices let you automatically subscribe to and receive updates from webpages that change frequently, and view the updates without having to load the entire website. For example, you can subscribe to a Seattle, Washington weather WebSlice that updates when the current temperature changes. When you subscribe to a WebSlice, your IP address will be sent to the website that provides the WebSlice on a configurable schedule.

To remove a WebSlice:

1.	In the Favorites Bar, right-click on the WebSlice that you want to remove.
2.	Click Delete.
3.	Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box

Security and Storage of Your Information

Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the personal information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities.

Information collected by Microsoft as part of providing you with Internet Explorer's features may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or agents maintain facilities, and by using a Microsoft site or service, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union. Except as described in this statement, personal information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as packaging, sending and delivering purchases and other mailings, answering customer questions about products or services, processing event registration, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose. Microsoft may access and/or disclose information 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; (b) protect and defend the rights of Microsoft (including enforcement of our agreements); or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, users of Microsoft products or services, or members of the public.

Changes to the Privacy Statement

We may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of the privacy statement. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.

For More Information

If you have questions about this privacy statement, please contact us by clicking here.

Internet Explorer Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
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Redmond WA 98052
USA