Is WGA used to violate your privacy or not?

I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was shocked!

"Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were
reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."

http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO

If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?

I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en

"Q: What information is collected from my computer?

A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does not collect
or send any information that can be used to identify you or contact you.
The only information collected in the validation process is:

* Windows product key
* PC manufacturer
* Operating System version
* PID/SID
* BIOS information (make, version, date)
* BIOS MD5 Checksum
* User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
* System locale (language version of the operating system)

Q: How does Microsoft use this information?

A: The information serves three purposes:

* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
your responses.
* It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
regional differences in Windows usage.
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared against data
collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s
request for additional access."

And I repeat,

"This process does not collect or send any information that can be used
to identify you or contact you."

Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through its
online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!? Is it
just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?

--
nubian

http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/vista.html

nubian wrote:
> I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was shocked!
>
> "Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
> program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were
> reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>
> http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>
>
> If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
> Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>
> I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> "Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>
> A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
> system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does not collect
> or send any information that can be used to identify you or contact you.
> The only information collected in the validation process is:
>
> * Windows product key
> * PC manufacturer
> * Operating System version
> * PID/SID
> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>
> Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>
> A: The information serves three purposes:
>
> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
> your responses.
> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
> regional differences in Windows usage.
> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against data
> collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s
> request for additional access."
>
> And I repeat,
>
> "This process does not collect or send any information that can be used
> to identify you or contact you."
>
> Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through its
> online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!? Is it
> just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?
>

Hmmmm, that's a very good question. It looks suspect to me.

--
capitan

nubian wrote:
> I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was
> shocked!
> "Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
> program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants
> were reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>
> http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>
> If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
> Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>
> I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> "Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>
> A: The genuine validation process will collect information about
> your system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does
> not collect or send any information that can be used to identify
> you or contact you. The only information collected in the
> validation process is:
> * Windows product key
> * PC manufacturer
> * Operating System version
> * PID/SID
> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>
> Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>
> A: The information serves three purposes:
>
> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based
> on your responses.
> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
> regional differences in Windows usage.
> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against
> data collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a
> user’s request for additional access."
>
> And I repeat,
>
> "This process does not collect or send any information that can be
> used to identify you or contact you."
>
> Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through
> its online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!?
> Is it just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?


"Trace" does not equate (to me) "identified".

The article seems to only talk about lawsuits files against the eBay
sellers - whose identity would have been fairly simple to discover. Not the
users of said software. Nothing in there (or this thread) seems to imply
that the WGA collects anything other than what it says it does.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Possible scenario:

Clueless (or not) person buys "cheap" software from ebay.
Installs software and fails validation.
Cries wolf to MS.
MS *does* keep a list of cracked keys.
MS inquires as to source of product.
I'm sure they're building up a database when the complaints come in: Key,
where & when purchased, etc.
User points MS to ebay auction.
Seller has sold a known cracked or invalid key.
MS goes after seller.

There is no way the evil WGA program could track the key back to the seller,
only the user. How could they tie an invalid key back to an ebay seller? I
don't see any big effort to prosecute individual users, only those who
distribute.


"nubian" <nubian@#.not> wrote in message news:dvcbl5$286$...
>I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was shocked!
>
> "Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
> program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were
> reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>
> http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>
> If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
> Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>
> I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> "Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>
> A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
> system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does not collect
> or send any information that can be used to identify you or contact you.
> The only information collected in the validation process is:
>
> * Windows product key
> * PC manufacturer
> * Operating System version
> * PID/SID
> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>
> Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>
> A: The information serves three purposes:
>
> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your
> responses.
> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand regional
> differences in Windows usage.
> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against data
> collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s
> request for additional access."
>
> And I repeat,
>
> "This process does not collect or send any information that can be used to
> identify you or contact you."
>
> Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through its
> online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!? Is it
> just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?
>
> --
> nubian
>
> http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/vista.html

nubian wrote:
> I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was shocked!
>
> "Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
> program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were
> reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>
> http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>
>
> If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
> Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>
> I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
> "Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>
> A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
> system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does not collect
> or send any information that can be used to identify you or contact you.
> The only information collected in the validation process is:
>
> * Windows product key
> * PC manufacturer
> * Operating System version
> * PID/SID
> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>
> Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>
> A: The information serves three purposes:
>
> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
> your responses.
> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
> regional differences in Windows usage.
> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against data
> collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s
> request for additional access."
>
> And I repeat,
>
> "This process does not collect or send any information that can be used
> to identify you or contact you."
>
> Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through its
> online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!? Is it
> just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?
>

Wow. Me no like.

Alias

--
Use the "Reply to Sender" feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza "Responder al Remitente" para enviarme un mail.

Did you read the subject?

--
nubian

http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/vista.html

> And your Windows Update question is...?
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Security, Shell/User)
>
> nubian wrote:
>> I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was
>> shocked!
>> "Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
>> program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants
>> were reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>>
>> http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>>
>> If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
>> Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>>
>> I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>>
>> "Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>>
>> A: The genuine validation process will collect information about
>> your system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does
>> not collect or send any information that can be used to identify
>> you or contact you. The only information collected in the
>> validation process is:
>> * Windows product key
>> * PC manufacturer
>> * Operating System version
>> * PID/SID
>> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
>> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
>> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
>> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>>
>> Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>>
>> A: The information serves three purposes:
>>
>> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based
>> on your responses.
>> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
>> regional differences in Windows usage.
>> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against
>> data collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a
>> user's request for additional access."
>>
>> And I repeat,
>>
>> "This process does not collect or send any information that can be
>> used to identify you or contact you."
>>
>> Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through
>> its online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!?
>> Is it just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 12:43:48 -0600, nubian <nubian@#.not> wrote:

>I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was shocked!
>
>"Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
>program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were
>reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>
>http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>
>If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
>Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>
>I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>
>"Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>
>A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
>system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does not collect
>or send any information that can be used to identify you or contact you.
>The only information collected in the validation process is:
>
> * Windows product key
> * PC manufacturer
> * Operating System version
> * PID/SID
> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>
>Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>
>A: The information serves three purposes:
>
> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
>your responses.
> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
>regional differences in Windows usage.
> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against data
>collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s
>request for additional access."
>
>And I repeat,
>
>"This process does not collect or send any information that can be used
>to identify you or contact you."
>
>Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through its
>online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!? Is it
>just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?

Of couse it is not used to track down users of illegal installations
but if some fool is stupid enough to sell hundreds of copies online
via ebay then they deserve to be caught.

WGA is simply a way to seriously annoy users of legal installations
and drive them to Linux, whilst appeasing shareholders that M$ is
doing something about piracy. Its one of those ultimate Lose - Lose
situations and I suspect that M$ are really quite ambivalent about WGA
because lets face it pirate copies of M$ software in the past were a
fantastic marketing tool and played an important part in establishing
M$s huge dominance today.

8-)

Jonah

gw wrote:
> Possible scenario:
>
> Clueless (or not) person buys "cheap" software from ebay.
> Installs software and fails validation.
> Cries wolf to MS.
> MS *does* keep a list of cracked keys.
> MS inquires as to source of product.
> I'm sure they're building up a database when the complaints come in: Key,
> where & when purchased, etc.
> User points MS to ebay auction.
> Seller has sold a known cracked or invalid key.
> MS goes after seller.
>
> There is no way the evil WGA program could track the key back to the seller,
> only the user. How could they tie an invalid key back to an ebay seller? I
> don't see any big effort to prosecute individual users, only those who
> distribute.

But if you read the quoted paragraph from the article, it says that only
SOME were phoned in. It also says that MICROSOFT TRACED MOST through WGA.

I don't think that equates to ALL being caught through being reported
over the phone. I see nubian's point.

--
capitan

>
>
> "nubian" <nubian@#.not> wrote in message news:dvcbl5$286$...
>> I was reading this article, then I came to this paragraph and was shocked!
>>
>> "Microsoft traced most of the pirates through its online validation
>> program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). Some of the defendants were
>> reported to the company's antipiracy hotline."
>>
>> http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/M...d=10000B5Y3NUO
>>
>> If WGA is touted to protect and respect the privacy of thos who use
>> Windows, how could it do this without violating privacy?!?
>>
>> I checked the FAQ and privacy policy of WGA:
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...displaylang=en
>>
>> "Q: What information is collected from my computer?
>>
>> A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
>> system to determine if Windows is genuine. This process does not collect
>> or send any information that can be used to identify you or contact you.
>> The only information collected in the validation process is:
>>
>> * Windows product key
>> * PC manufacturer
>> * Operating System version
>> * PID/SID
>> * BIOS information (make, version, date)
>> * BIOS MD5 Checksum
>> * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
>> * System locale (language version of the operating system)
>>
>> Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
>>
>> A: The information serves three purposes:
>>
>> * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your
>> responses.
>> * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand regional
>> differences in Windows usage.
>> * It confirms user input. User input is often compared against data
>> collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s
>> request for additional access."
>>
>> And I repeat,
>>
>> "This process does not collect or send any information that can be used to
>> identify you or contact you."
>>
>> Then how the heck did ""Microsoft trace most of the pirates through its
>> online validation program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)."?!? Is it
>> just me, or is this a gross misuse of WGA?
>>
>> --
>> nubian
>>
>> http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/vista.html
>
>

"capitan" <> wrote in message
news:...
> gw wrote:
>> Possible scenario:
>>
>> Clueless (or not) person buys "cheap" software from ebay.
>> Installs software and fails validation.
>> Cries wolf to MS.
>> MS *does* keep a list of cracked keys.
>> MS inquires as to source of product.
>> I'm sure they're building up a database when the complaints come in: Key,
>> where & when purchased, etc.
>> User points MS to ebay auction.
>> Seller has sold a known cracked or invalid key.
>> MS goes after seller.
>>
>> There is no way the evil WGA program could track the key back to the
>> seller, only the user. How could they tie an invalid key back to an ebay
>> seller? I don't see any big effort to prosecute individual users, only
>> those who distribute.
>
> But if you read the quoted paragraph from the article, it says that only
> SOME were phoned in. It also says that MICROSOFT TRACED MOST through WGA.
>
> I don't think that equates to ALL being caught through being reported over
> the phone. I see nubian's point.
>
> --
> capitan

Yes - TRACED - As in, found out where they came from. Show me where MS is
prosecuting an individual user for installing a pirated copy. It's not
happening. They have nothing to gain by punishing the user - they just scare
off a potential customer. I imagine if they really wanted to, they could tie
WGA to a download that would destroy an invalid installation.

Again, even if MS *TRACED* (using personal information) the illegal copies
using WGA, how would that lead them to prosecute an ebay seller?? Wouldn't
they be prosecuting the individuals who had installed the copies?

gw wrote:
> "capitan" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> gw wrote:
>>> Possible scenario:
>>>
>>> Clueless (or not) person buys "cheap" software from ebay.
>>> Installs software and fails validation.
>>> Cries wolf to MS.
>>> MS *does* keep a list of cracked keys.
>>> MS inquires as to source of product.
>>> I'm sure they're building up a database when the complaints come in: Key,
>>> where & when purchased, etc.
>>> User points MS to ebay auction.
>>> Seller has sold a known cracked or invalid key.
>>> MS goes after seller.
>>>
>>> There is no way the evil WGA program could track the key back to the
>>> seller, only the user. How could they tie an invalid key back to an ebay
>>> seller? I don't see any big effort to prosecute individual users, only
>>> those who distribute.
>> But if you read the quoted paragraph from the article, it says that only
>> SOME were phoned in. It also says that MICROSOFT TRACED MOST through WGA.
>>
>> I don't think that equates to ALL being caught through being reported over
>> the phone. I see nubian's point.
>>
>> --
>> capitan
>
> Yes - TRACED - As in, found out where they came from. Show me where MS is
> prosecuting an individual user for installing a pirated copy. It's not
> happening. They have nothing to gain by punishing the user - they just scare
> off a potential customer. I imagine if they really wanted to, they could tie
> WGA to a download that would destroy an invalid installation.
>
> Again, even if MS *TRACED* (using personal information) the illegal copies
> using WGA, how would that lead them to prosecute an ebay seller?? Wouldn't
> they be prosecuting the individuals who had installed the copies?
>
>

I see what you are saying, the sellers would have had to have it
installed to have it "trace" back to them. I still don't trust MS as
far as I can throw them!

--
nubian

http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/index.html
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/vista.html