Microsoft Internet Explorer (Pre-Release Version 7.0) Privacy Statement
Updated: July 11, 2006
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 version 7.0 ("Internet Explorer"). This is a preliminary disclosure and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products or services.
Internet Explorer is designed to make it easy to browse and interact with websites on your intranet or on the Internet. Certain information is sent to the websites you visit, such as your IP address. 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.
Add-on Management and Crash Detection
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. Add-ons include browser helper objects, ActiveX controls, toolbar extensions and browser extensions.
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, 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. |
When Internet Explorer experiences an error, Internet Explorer's Add-on Crash Detection feature analyzes whether an add-on was running at the time of the crash. If so, you will be presented with a dialog box that tells you which add-on was running. If you click Advanced, the Manage Add-ons dialog will launch. If you click Continue, you will see the standard Windows Error Reporting dialog.
Add-on Crash Detection is on by default. If you are an administrator and wish to disable Add-on Management or Add-on Crash Detection, technical details are available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=21836.
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 different failures that 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. |
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 MSN Search to provide you with some web addresses that may 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 an MSN server which returns web address options to your computer. MSN collects certain information about your computer hardware and software. This information may include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. For more information about MSN Search and how MSN uses your information, please see the MSN privacy statement at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=31493.
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 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 web server. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a 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 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 may not function correctly. For example, if you do not allow cookies at all, you may 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, the UserData store, 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 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 the P3P privacy policy, you can specify how you want Internet Explorer to handle cookies from the selected 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.
Phishing Filter
Phishing Filter can warn you if the website you are visiting might be impersonating a trusted website. Phishing 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 have been reported to Microsoft as legitimate ("legitimate list"). The first time you attempt to visit a website that is not on the legitimate list, you will be asked whether you would like to have Phishing Filter automatically check all websites you visit. If you opt in, addresses 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 phishing, suspicious, or legitimate websites. You may also choose to use Phishing Filter manually to verify individual sites.
When you use Phishing 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 Phishing Filter version number. To help protect your privacy, the address information sent to Microsoft is encrypted using SSL and limited to the domain and path of the website. Other information that may be associated with the address, such as search terms, data you entered in forms, or cookies, will not be sent.
For example, if you visited the MSN search web site at http://search.msn.com and entered "MySecret" as the search term, instead of sending the full address "http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=MySecret&FORM=QBHP", Phishing Filter would remove the search term and only send "http://search.msn.com/results.aspx". Address strings might unintentionally contain personal information, but this information is not used to identify you or contact you. If you are concerned that an address string might contain personal or confidential information, you should not report the site.
Anonymous statistics about your usage of Phishing 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 the Phishing Filter service. 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 and then provided as client updates. When saving this information additional information including Phishing Filter and Operating System version, and your browser language will be saved.
Automatic checking of all websites by Phishing Filter is off by default. Phishing Filter can be turned on and off from the Internet Explorer Tools menu. For example, to turn off automatic checking of all websites:
1. | In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Phishing Filter |
2. | Click Turn Off Automatic Checking |
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 |
Please see Internet Explorer on-line Help for more information about Pop-up Blocker.
Save Last Tab Group
This feature in Internet Explorer allows you to easily bring back your previous set of tabs the next time you open Internet Explorer. You can choose to do this when you close Internet Explorer when multiple tabs are open. This saved data can be deleted with the Delete Browsing History feature.
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 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. |
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.
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. 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. 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 or property of Microsoft and its family of websites, 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
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