Location and my privacy FAQ
What are location positioning services on a Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device?
What are the benefits of using location positioning services on a Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device?
How do location positioning services for Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device work?
How does Microsoft provide location positioning services?
Why don't you use GPS as a primary means to determine location for most devices?
What if I don't want to use location positioning services from my Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device?
Once location positioning services are turned on for an application, can I change my mind and turn them off?
How does Microsoft assemble a Wi-Fi location positioning database?
What is managed driving, and how does it work?
Specifically, what information is collected when Microsoft conducts managed driving?
Does Microsoft collect any "payload data" (information sent over private, non-protected wireless networks) when observing Wi-Fi access points?
Do you collect emails and passwords transmitted over open Wi-Fi networks?
Are you collecting information to map open/unencrypted Wi-Fi networks?
Does Microsoft know what devices are connected to a Wi-Fi access point?
Can I prevent Microsoft from using the MAC addresses of my Wi-Fi devices?
How do I find the MAC address for my Wi-Fi access point?
Does Microsoft collect information about what someone names their Wi-Fi network?
How does Microsoft collect location information from mobile devices?
What Wi-Fi data elements do you collect from mobile devices using Microsoft's location positioning services?
If I have Wi-Fi turned off on my mobile device, are you still collecting Wi-Fi access point information in the background for Microsoft's location positioning services?
If I have location positioning services turned on for my mobile device, are you collecting location information all of the time?
Are you tracking every user who contributes location information from their mobile device to Microsoft's location positioning services?
Do you store location information on my Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device to track my location?
Do you share the location information collected by Microsoft's location positioning services with mobile operators?
Do you share location information collected by Microsoft's location positioning services with other location positioning database providers?
What are location positioning services on a Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device?
Location positioning services can be used by software and online services to find a device's location and enable users to receive more relevant experiences on their device.
What are the benefits of using location positioning services on a Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device?
Location-aware applications, which are applications that use the location positioning services on a device, offer a number of benefits. For example, you can find local movie times, weather, or directions to the nearest coffee shop.
How do location positioning services for Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device work?
When you allow an application or game to access your device's location, the application or game will connect to Microsoft's location positioning services and request the approximate location of the device. The location service will respond by providing the application or game with the location coordinates of the user's device (when available), which the application or game can then use to enrich the user experience.
How does Microsoft provide location positioning services?
To provide location services, Microsoft assembles and maintains a database that records the location of certain mobile cell towers and Wi-Fi access points. These data points are used to calculate and provide an approximate location of the user's device by comparing the Wi-Fi access points and cell towers that a user's device can detect to the location database, which contains correlations of known Wi-Fi access points and cell towers to observed latitudes and longitudes. We may also query trusted third-party location positioning databases, such as Nokia's positioning database, which contain similar information, and then return the best results based on each query.
Why don't you use GPS as a primary means to determine location for most devices?
GPS (Global Positioning System) is not available on all mobile devices or effective from all locations, particularly indoor locations and urban environments with tall buildings. Additionally, using GPS consumes more battery power and uses more data than using Wi-Fi or cell towers to determine location. The additional consumption can have an impact on mobile device users by increasing data charges and draining the battery. Microsoft's location positioning system uses a combination of available GPS, Wi-Fi access points, and cell towers to offer location positioning services in the most efficient and effective manner.
What if I don't want to use location positioning services from my Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device?
You don't have to. We believe you should always have choice and control over access and use of your device's location. Before any application can gain access to information regarding a user's location, you must allow the application to access your device's location. Location-aware applications are required to provide the ability to turn off that application's access to your location. And you can always turn off access for all applications by turning off location positioning services.
To turn off location positioning services for all applications, do the following:
In the App list, tap Settings.
Tap Location, and then turn off Location Services.
Once location positioning services are turned on for an application, can I change my mind and turn them off?
Absolutely. Handheld device users can always decide to turn location positioning services off in one of two ways:
By withdrawing consent and turning off location positioning services for that particular application. For example, to turn off location awareness for Search, go to Settings, flick to Applications, tap Search, and then turn off Use my location.
By turning off access to location positioning services for all applications on the device. To do this, go to Settings > Location, and turn off Location services.
How does Microsoft assemble a Wi-Fi location positioning database?
Microsoft uses two methods to assemble and maintain its location positioning database:
Collection from managed driving
Collection from mobile devices using location services
What is managed driving, and how does it work?
For many cities, towns, and geographical regions, Microsoft uses mobile teams who drive vehicles equipped with mobile devices that contain software which collects Wi-Fi information broadcast by Wi-Fi access points and then transmits this information directly to Microsoft's location positioning database. The process is similar to when a user searches for Wi-Fi "hot spots" on a mobile device or laptop, and the information collected is the same information that any user can view when trying to connect to available networks from a personal computer or other mobile device.
By using the GPS available on the mobile device that is used to collect Wi-Fi access point information, Microsoft also observes the actual latitude and longitude when the vehicle observes the Wi-Fi access point information. This allows the location positioning database to associate particular Wi-Fi access points with a particular location.
For more information about Streetside and driving locations, go to this Microsoft website.
Specifically, what information is collected when Microsoft conducts managed driving?
The devices in the vehicles observe the following Wi-Fi access point information:
BSSID (that is, the Media Access Control [MAC] address)
Signal strength
Radio type (for example, 802.11n)
By using the GPS available on the mobile device used to collect Wi-Fi access point information, these devices will also observe the actual latitude/longitude and direction and speed when the vehicle observes the Wi-Fi access point information.
Does Microsoft collect any "payload data" (information sent over private, non-protected wireless networks) when observing Wi-Fi access points?
No. Microsoft engineered and tested the software to make sure that it only observes the information publicly broadcast by Wi-Fi access points to identify access points to devices. The software does not collect any packets transmitted over encrypted or non-encrypted networks and does not attempt to connect to any open networks. This means that any private data you have transmitted over your Wi-Fi network (for example, email or other data you may have sent) is not detectable by the location positioning service software.
Do you collect emails and passwords transmitted over open Wi-Fi networks?
No. Microsoft engineered and tested the software to make sure that it only observes the information that is publicly broadcast by Wi-Fi access points to identify access points to devices. The software does not collect any packets transmitted over encrypted or non-encrypted networks and does not attempt to connect to any open networks.
Are you collecting information to map open/unencrypted Wi-Fi networks?
No. Microsoft recognizes the sensitivity of knowing or disclosing where open/encrypted networks are located, so Microsoft's software does not collect encryption or authentication type broadcast by Wi-Fi access points.
Does Microsoft know what devices are connected to a Wi-Fi access point?
No. Microsoft only surveys information broadcast by Wi-Fi access points. Microsoft does not observe or try to retrieve information about devices connected to a particular access point.
Can I prevent Microsoft from using the MAC addresses of my Wi-Fi devices?
Yes. You can submit the MAC addresses of your Wi-Fi network devices (such as a Wi-Fi access point or router) to a block list. When you do this, Microsoft will not use the MAC address of your Wi-Fi network device or any data associated with its MAC address in either the location positioning database or the Wi-Fi network database. In addition, we will not pass such MAC addresses to location positioning database partners when we utilize such partners. For more information, go to Opt out of location services.
How do I find the MAC address for my Wi-Fi access point?
The MAC address for a Wi-Fi access point (such as a wireless router) is a 12 character code that you can usually find on a sticker located on the bottom of the device. If no sticker is present, you can also find the MAC address through the utility used to manage your wireless network.
Does Microsoft collect information about what someone names their Wi-Fi network?
We do not collect Wi-Fi access point names, or SSIDs, as part of the location positioning database. We do, however, maintain a separate directory of publicly available Wi-Fi networks to assist the mobile device users in finding and navigating to popular hotspots. If you choose to help improve this feature by sending Microsoft limited information as you use your Wi-Fi service, the publicly broadcast SSID of the Wi-Fi networks your device connects to are collected and sent to Microsoft. This data is not associated with your specific device in the database. In other words, the database does not know that your specific device detected a specific Wi-Fi network. Moreover, our goal is only to maintain a database of large, public networks, so we use technological methods to curate the database and remove the vast majority of the SSIDs.
How does Microsoft collect location information from mobile devices?
In addition to managed driving, in order to assemble and maintain its location positioning database, Microsoft surveys available Wi-Fi access points when users are using location-aware features or applications on their mobile device. These Wi-Fi access points are only surveyed if all of the following conditions are met:
The user has given permission to turn on location positioning services on the device.
The user has allowed a particular application to access location positioning services and the application requests location information.
Wi-Fi is turned on on the device.
If any of these conditions are not met, the mobile device will not survey Wi-Fi access points.
What Wi-Fi data elements do you collect from mobile devices using Microsoft's location positioning services?
Microsoft's location positioning services? The Wi-Fi access point elements observed and information collected from mobile devices includes the following:
BSSID (the MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point)
Signal strength
Randomly generated unique device ID
If GPS is available on the mobile device, Microsoft will also collect the following:
Observed latitude and longitude
Direction and speed
If I have Wi-Fi turned off on my mobile device, are you still collecting Wi-Fi access point information in the background for Microsoft's location positioning services?
No. The location positioning database only collects Wi-Fi access point information if Wi-Fi is turned on on the mobile device and location information (including Wi-Fi access point information) is only observed when an application or user makes a request for location information. An application will only request this information if a user has allowed that application to access and use location. But if you have enabled the public Wi-Fi hotspot collection, your device will separately collect Wi-Fi information anytime you enable Wi-Fi and your device connects to that Wi-Fi network.
If I have location positioning services turned on for my mobile device, are you collecting location information all of the time?
No. Microsoft's location services will only collect location information when you allow a particular application to request location information and that particular application requests location information.
Are you tracking every user who contributes location information from their mobile device to Microsoft's location positioning services?
No. The privacy of users who contribute data from their mobile devices is important to us. As noted above, Microsoft's location positioning services will only collect location information when an application you've allowed to access location specifically requests that data. Microsoft doesn't store or use any unique device identifiers or other data that personally identifies you or that would allow tracking or creating a location history of your device in connection with Microsoft's location positioning services. When users contribute location information from their mobile devices to Microsoft's location positioning services, we collect the MAC addresses and signal strengths of local cell towers and Wi-Fi access points (assuming the device's Wi-Fi functionality is turned on).
Do you store location information on my Windows Embedded 8 Handheld device to track my location?
No. The information we store on your device is about the location of nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers. We store this information so that applications you have given permission to access your location can retrieve it more quickly.
Do you share the location information collected by Microsoft's location positioning services with mobile operators?
No. The location information in Microsoft's location positioning services is not shared with mobile operators.
Do you share location information collected by Microsoft's location positioning services with other location positioning database providers?
Yes. We may use trusted third-party location positioning databases to provide improved location positioning on your device. For example, when an application on your device requests location, we may also query a partner's location positioning database to allow your device to better determine its location. This is particularly helpful in a case where the Microsoft database may not have as much Wi-Fi access point or cell tower location information as the partner for a specific geographic area. Just as with the Microsoft location positioning database, the partner database will receive information about nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi access points and GPS data, but will receive no information that identifies you or uniquely identifies your device.
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