41 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
41 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
|
# Windows 8.1 to display targeted advertisements on local system searches
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
It is very disturbing that [Microsoft decided that it would be a good idea
|
||
|
|
to display targeted ads on local searches][0]---that is, if you search for a
|
||
|
|
file on your PC named "finances", you may get ads for finance software,
|
||
|
|
taxes, etc. If you search for "porn", well, you get the idea.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
> Bing Ads will be an integral part of this new Windows 8.1 Smart Search
|
||
|
|
> experience. Now, with a single campaign setup, advertisers can connect
|
||
|
|
> with consumers across Bing, Yahoo! and the new Windows Search with highly
|
||
|
|
> relevant ads for their search queries. In addition, Bing Ads will include
|
||
|
|
> Web previews of websites and the latest features like site links, location
|
||
|
|
> and call extensions, making it easier for consumers to complete tasks and
|
||
|
|
> for advertisers to drive qualified leads.[[1]]
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
[0]: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241524/Steven_J._Vaughan_Nichols_Microsoft_Bing_bang_bungles_local_search
|
||
|
|
[1]: http://community.bingads.microsoft.com/ads/en/bingads/b/blog/archive/2013/07/02/new-search-ad-experiences-within-windows-8-1.aspx
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<!-- more -->
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
While that is certainly obnoxious, consider the larger issue of privacy
|
||
|
|
(which seems to be in the news a lot lately[[2]][[3]]): Late last year, there
|
||
|
|
was an uproar in the Free Software community when [Ubuntu decided to query
|
||
|
|
Amazon---enabled by default---on local searches][4] using their new Unity
|
||
|
|
interface. The problem is that your personal queries are being sent to a
|
||
|
|
third party---queries that you generally would expect to be private. If I
|
||
|
|
run a `find' or `grep' command on my system, I certainly do not expect it to
|
||
|
|
report to Amazon or Microsoft what I am searching for.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
And to make matters even worse, Microsoft is exploiting this information to
|
||
|
|
allow advertisers to target you. [Ironic.][5]
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
[Do not use Windows 8][6] (or any other proprietary software, for that
|
||
|
|
matter).
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
[2]: /2013/08/facebook-knows-about-you-even-if-you-are-not-a-member
|
||
|
|
[3]: /2013/06/national-uproar-a-comprehensive-overview-of-the-nsa-leaks-and-revelations
|
||
|
|
[4]: http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do
|
||
|
|
[5]: http://www.scroogled.com/email/
|
||
|
|
[6]: https://www.fsf.org/windows8
|