The data we collect depends on the context of your interactions with Microsoft and the choices you make (including your privacy settings), the products and features you use, your location, and applicable law.
The data we collect can include the following:
Name and contact data. Your first and last name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other similar contact data.
Credentials. Passwords, password hints, and similar security information used for authentication and account access.
Demographic data. Data about you such as your age, gender, country, and preferred language.
Payment data. Data to process payments, such as your payment instrument number (such as a credit card number) and the security code associated with your payment instrument.
Subscription and licensing data. Information about your subscriptions, licenses, and other entitlements.
Interactions. Data about your use of Microsoft products. In some cases, such as search queries, this is data you provide in order to make use of the products. In other cases, such as error reports, this is data we generate. Other examples of interactions data include:
Device and usage data. Data about your device and the product and features you use, including information about your hardware and software, how our products perform, as well as your settings. For example:
Payment and account history. Data about the items you purchase and activities associated with your account.
Browse history. Data about the webpages you visit.
Device, connectivity, and configuration data. Data about your device, your device configuration, and nearby networks. For example, data about the operating systems and other software installed on your device, including product keys. In addition, IP address, device identifiers (such as the IMEI number for phones), regional and language settings, and information about WLAN access points near your device.
Error reports and performance data. Data about the performance of the products and any problems you experience, including error reports. Error reports (sometimes called “crash dumps”) can include details of the software or hardware related to an error, contents of files opened when an error occurred, and data about other software on your device.
Troubleshooting and help data. Data you provide when you contact Microsoft for help, such as the products you use, and other details that help us provide support. For example, contact or authentication data, the content of your chats and other communications with Microsoft, data about the condition of your device, and the products you use related to your help inquiry. When you contact us, such as for customer support, phone conversations or chat sessions with our representatives may be monitored and recorded.
Bot usage data. Interactions with bots and skills available through Microsoft products, including bots and skills provided by third parties.
Interests and favorites. Data about your interests and favorites, such as the sports teams you follow, the programming languages you prefer, the stocks you track, or cities you add to track things like weather or traffic. In addition to those you explicitly provide, your interests and favorites can also be inferred or derived from other data we collect, such as your interactions on websites where our technology is used to show or measure ads.
Content consumption data. Information about media content (e.g., TV, video, music, audio, text books, apps, and games) you access through our products.
Searches and commands. Search queries and commands when you use Microsoft products with search or related productivity functionality, such as interactions with a chat bot.
Voice data. Your voice data, sometimes referred to as “voice clips”, such as search queries, commands, or dictation you speak, which may include background sounds.
Text, inking, and typing data. Text, inking, and typing data and related information. For example, when we collect inking data, we collect information about the placement of your inking instrument on your device.
Images. Images and related information, such as picture metadata. For example, we collect the image you provide when you use a Bing image-enabled service.
Contacts and relationships. Data about your contacts and relationships if you use a product to share information with others, manage contacts, communicate with others, or improve your productivity.
Social data. Information about your relationships and interactions between you, other people, and organizations, such as types of engagement (e.g., likes, dislikes, events, etc.) related to people and organizations.
Location data. Data about your device’s location, which can be either precise or imprecise. For example, we collect location data using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) (e.g., GPS) and data about nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots. Location can also be inferred from a device’s IP address or data in your account profile that indicates where it is located with less precision, such as at a city or postal code level.
Biometric data and identifiers. Data about you resulting from specific technical processing relating to your physical, physiological, or behavioral characteristics which allow or confirm unique identification. Our collection and use of biometric data depends on the products and features you use in certain Microsoft products, as well as your consent. For instance, you can use your fingerprint or facial recognition to sign in to your Windows device via Windows Hello. Please see the Windows Hello section below for more information.
Other input. Other inputs provided when you use our products. For example, data such as the buttons you press on an Xbox wireless controller using the Xbox network, skeletal tracking data when you use Kinect, and other sensor data, like the number of steps you take, when you use devices that have applicable sensors. If you attend an in-store event, we collect the data you provide to us when registering for or during the event and if you enter into a prize promotion, we collect the data you input into the entry form.
Content. Content of your files and communications you input, upload, receive, create, and control. For example, if you transmit a file using Teams to another Teams user, we need to collect the content of that file to display it to you and the other user. If you receive an email using Outlook.com, we need to collect the content of that email to deliver it to your inbox, display it to you, enable you to reply to it, and store it for you until you choose to delete it. Other content we collect when providing products to you include:
Communications, including audio, video, text (typed, inked, dictated, or otherwise), in a message, email, call, meeting request, or chat.
Photos, images, songs, movies, software, and other media or documents you store, retrieve, or otherwise process with our cloud.
Video or recordings. Recordings of events and activities at Microsoft buildings, retail spaces, and other locations. If you enter Microsoft Store locations or other facilities, or attend a Microsoft event that is recorded, we may process your image and voice data.
Feedback and ratings. Information you provide to us and the content of messages you send to us, such as feedback, survey data, and product reviews you write.
Traffic data. Data generated through your use of Microsoft’s communications services. Traffic data indicates with whom you have communicated and when your communications occurred. We will process your traffic data only as required to provide, maintain, and improve our communications services and we do so with your consent.
Product-specific sections below describe data collection practices applicable to use of those products.
I just try to be careful on what I put in my emails.
