Bonum Certa Men Certa

EPO and Microsoft Collude to Break the Law -- Part IX: Know Your Vendor…

Previous parts:



A big brother-like spy
The never-ending saga of Microsoft's run-ins with European data protection authorities



Summary: Microsoft is one of the world's worst offenders when it comes to privacy, but vendor assessment by the EPO conveniently overlooks the law

Even before GDPR came into effect in May 2018, data protection regulators in some European countries were starting to have their doubts about whether Microsoft's flagship product, its Windows operating system, was compliant with European data protection standards.



The first national authority to kick into action was the French National Data Protection Commission (CNIL).

Following an investigation which concluded in June 2016, CNIL issued Microsoft with a formal notice to comply with French data protection regulations. CNIL also ruled that the decision should be made public, given the scale of the violations in question.

"Following an investigation which concluded in June 2016, CNIL issued Microsoft with a formal notice to comply with French data protection regulations. CNIL also ruled that the decision should be made public, given the scale of the violations in question."No fewer than six violations of the French Data Protection Act were identified by CNIL, including continued transfer of data based on Safe Harbor principles despite the fact that the Safe Harbour Agreement had been invalidated by the CJEU in October 2015.

Microsoft was given three months – until 30 September 2016 – to end the identified violations of French Data Protection law or else face the prospect of a fine of up to €150,000.

In June 2017, it was reported that Microsoft had scaled back the volume of data it collected from Windows 10 PCs by "almost half". This led CNIL to announce that Windows 10 was no longer in breach of the country's data protection laws and that it had decided to close the case.

But that was only the first chapter in the never-ending saga of Microsoft's run-ins with European data protection authorities.

"Microsoft was given three months – until 30 September 2016 – to end the identified violations of French Data Protection law or else face the prospect of a fine of up to €150,000."A few months later in October 2017, it was reported that the Dutch data protection authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) had come to the conclusion that Microsoft was in breach of Dutch data protection law due to the way it processed the personal data of Windows 10 users.

According to the Dutch data watchdog, Microsoft made it impossible for users to give their valid consent to their personal data being processed due to the multiple ways in which that data might subsequently be used.

The Dutch regulator noted that Microsoft had promised to end its "violations", but warned that a failure to do so could lead it to impose a sanction.

After some back and forth with the regulator, Microsoft submitted a revised version of its software in April 2018. However, in the course of testing the revised version the Dutch agency found fresh grounds for concern, discovering what it called in a press release "new, potentially unlawful, instances of personal data processing".

"After some back and forth with the regulator, Microsoft submitted a revised version of its software in April 2018. However, in the course of testing the revised version the Dutch agency found fresh grounds for concern, discovering what it called in a press release "new, potentially unlawful, instances of personal data processing"."In the meantime GDPR had entered into force, and this led the Dutch data protection authority to refer its concerns to the competent lead EU privacy regulator under the new regulations. This was the national data protection authority where Microsoft's regional HQ for the EU is located, namely the Irish Data Protection Commission.

And so the seriously under-resourced Irish DPC added the Microsoft GDPR non-compliance case to an already long list of files concerning the cross-border data processing activities of multiple tech giants which had accumulated on its docket since the GDPR came into force in May 2018.

According to the most recently available reports from May 2020 the Microsoft case is still pending before the Irish Data Protection Commission.

The situation in the Netherlands became even hotter for Microsoft with the decision of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security in 2018 to commission a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to be carried out on a range of Microsoft products, including Office 365.

"The situation in the Netherlands became even hotter for Microsoft with the decision of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security in 2018 to commission a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to be carried out on a range of Microsoft products, including Office 365."The DPIA was commissioned because this was a clear-cut case of data processing on a large scale (by 300,000 government employees) which involved personal data, including data that could be potentially used to track the activities of employees.

The aim of the exercise was to assess the extent to which Microsoft's Office Online and the Mobile Office Apps could be deployed in a GDPR-compliant manner by Dutch government organisations.

The scope of the investigation included the five most commonly used Office 365 applications – Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel and Microsoft Teams – in Office Online and the Mobile Office apps, in combination with the use of cloud storage services.

The final report [PDF], which was published in November 2018, identified a number of serious data protection risks, in particular the following:

● Loss of control over the use of personal data; ● Loss of confidentiality; ● Inability to exercise rights; ● Re-identification of pseudonymised data; ● Unlawful (further) processing.

It was noted that effective risk mitigation was outside of the users' control and could only be carried out by Microsoft.

"It was noted that effective risk mitigation was outside of the users' control and could only be carried out by Microsoft."The investigation found an unacceptable lack of control by users over the processing of personal data by Office 365 mobile applications. Because of this government organisations were advised to create policies for their employees stating that they were not to use mobile Office 365 applications.

As we shall see in the next part, the investigation by the Dutch authorities into the GDPR-compliance of Microsoft products prompted the European Data Protection Supervisor to announce its own investigation into Microsoft products used by EU institutions.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft Media Operatives and Bill Epsteingate-Funded Sites Said Microsoft Lays Off 9,000, But Other Sites Say More (Including 2,300 in Redmond Alone)
We might never know the real number/s (Microsoft will keep the cards close to its chest) until there are leakers or unless there are whistleblowers with hard proof
GNU/Linux Reaches All-Time High in the United States of America
Windows is trending down
Why the Microsoft People Who Started SLAPPs Against Techrights Could Very Well be Sent Back to Prison
White-collar crime is also a crime
 
Links 02/07/2025: Deep Microsoft Cuts, Macron Speaks to Putin
Links for the day
Confirmed: Microsoft Shutdowns Today, Not Only Mass Layoffs
"The Initiative is the only studio closure planned today, although some other teams have seen cuts of varying degrees."
GNU/Linux is Replacing Microsoft Windows. But We Need to Eradicate Microsoft, It's a Hub of Crime.
I have been writing about Microsoft since the 1990s when I was in school
Microsoft Windows Nosedives in Switzerland While GNU/Linux Leaps Above 6%
sooner or later they might have to make the move anyway
Anxiety at Microsoft: Many Workers (Maybe Over 10,000) Still Don't Know They're Being Laid Off Just Before US Independence Day
"Has anyone gotten the notification yet?"
Microsoft "Declined to Say How Many People Would be Laid Off," According to Associated Press
Some other prominent publications said they reached out for comment from Microsoft and received none
The X War is Over and the "Wayland People" Lost
People will gravitate towards what works for them
20 Years Since My Thesis
It's still online
GNU/Linux is Replacing Windows in Laptops/Desktops
The world will move on while Windows and Microsoft shrink
Now Comes the Expected Webspam, Framing Microsoft Layoffs as "Hey Hi" Success Story (False Marketing That's Piggybacking the Layoffs)
falsely marketed as "intelligence"
Hungary: Microsoft Windows Sinks to 17% "Market Share"
In many nations in Europe it seems like the era of Windows is coming to an end
Microsoft Layoffs in Spain, Portugal Record for GNU/Linux
in Portugal we see GNU/Linux at record levels
Yes, Microsoft is Again Using Its Favourite Liars (Stenographers) to Seed Fake Layoff Numbers, Much Lower Than What's Really Happening
It is Jordan Novet again, just as we predicted
Will Microsoft Once Again Choose Its Favourite Liar to Spread Lies About Today's Layoffs, Quickly to be Replicated and Spread by Slopfarms?
What lies is Microsoft briefing its media moles to tell today?
"OSS Fetishism" Wins After Ferenc Zsolt Szabó Ousted (Microsoft Mole From Capgemini)
Many people said 2025 would be the "year of Linux on the desktop"
There is Nothing That LLMs Can Offer Honest People
LLMs are a passing fad; they're expensive and offer poor "value" for energy; they usually offer no value at all unless you are a cheater, spammer, and liar
What statCounter Shows Today Helps Explain Microsoft's Helplessness, Mass Layoffs
Since many US journalists are already away on holiday almost nobody will dare ask the difficult questions or give a voice to whistleblowers
Microsoft Gets the Chop in South America
The notion of digital sovereignty gained a lot of popularity
Europe Has an 'Exit'
Let's see what happens the rest of this year
El Presidente Talks, Canada Walks (Away From Windows)
GNU/Linux rising
Cities in France and Germany Move to GNU/Linux and statCounter Detects Big Differences
Will governments lead by example?
Microsoft Lost Its Foothold in Africa
How many of these are "old" Windows machines converted to GNU/Linux? Probably a lot.
Led by Europe, GNU/Linux Makes Big Gains This Month
statCounter started showing new/fresh stats
Links 02/07/2025: Massive Microsoft Layoffs About to Commence, "Tesla's Robotaxi Program Is Failing"
Links for the day
The Company Run by Former (and Last Proper) Red Hat CEO, Promoting Microsoft Mono, Faces Shock as Senior Partner Jailed for 33 Sexual Offenses Including Pedophilia
"As reported by The Oxford Mail in April 2025, the offenses include rape, sexual assault, engaging in non-penetrative activity with a child, and more."
Microsoft Lost 29% of Windows Users, Based on Microsoft, Now Come Massive Layoffs
Microsoft collapse is today
Slopwatch: Google Serves to People Linux Slop and Linux FUD (Made by Bots)
"Slopwatch" finds it difficult to ignore Google's role in encouraging LLM slop
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, July 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, July 01, 2025
"Wayland People" Behave Like the Googles and Microsofts of This World
Published yesterday by Igor Ljubuncic
Gemini Links 02/07/2025: Arch Linux and Fulfillment in Gemini
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Independence Day in Taiwan", Bounties on Software Patents
Links for the day
What Happens When Your Law Firm is Preoccupied With Harassing and Trying to Extort a Humble Couple in Manchester, Even on Behalf of Violent Microsoft Staff From Another Continent
It's good to see that law firms which operate in bad faith are perishing
Lawyer X, Law Firm X and Elon Musk's X: scandals linked by Old Xaverian
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Distraction-Free Writing and Hytale Mismanagement
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Beauty of Blogging" and "Etiquette of Collapse"
Links for the day
Microsoft Uses LLM Slop to Defraud (or Rob) Shareholders
Microsoft is basically defrauding its shareholders by LLM slop
The Web is a Dead End
We need to adopt alternatives
When Words Lose Their Intended Meaning
examples of words that, at least in the technical spheres, don't mean what they sound like
People Who Disagree With You on Technical Matters May or May Not Agree With You on Political Things (But Usually They Do)
What bothers me a great deal is seeing left-leaning people accusing other left-leaning people of being "nazis"
"Too Much Choice" and "Too Many Programming Languages"
What IBM and its apologists aim for was attempted in the 1930s and it failed
Microsoft Lost 400,000,000 Windows Users, According to Microsoft
more people adopt smaller computers and many people replace Windows with GNU/Linux, as they don't really need a new computer
The "Davos Effect": Tarnishing the Reputation of Places Not by Overtourism But by Oligarch Infestation
The last Venice needs is an affiliation with Venetian oligarchs
Half a Year Gone, What's to Come Next
In the second half of 2025 we expect to be done with the Microsoft SLAPPs
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 30, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 30, 2025
People at the Very Top of Microsoft Know How Bad Things Really Are
There's no product that can replace the former profitability of Windows licensing and stuff that went on top of Windows
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Mid Year and a Tour of Old Languages
Links for the day
EPO Presentation Bemoans Misuse of Slop in Decision-Making on Patents and in Classification (Which is Likely Illegal Too)
We habitually mention failed use cases of LLMs on the Web
Mass Layoffs at Microsoft Confirmed, "XBox Hardware Is Dead"
It's possible that over 20% of the staff will be laid off
Links 30/06/2025: Kyrgyzstan vs Media Freedom, Dalai Lama Succession
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: Backend Programs in Gemini and Dynamic Content Without The Scripting
Links for the day
Links 30/06/2025: Zuckerberg’s Tax-Evading Scheme Harms Kids, US Copyright Office Lacks Leadership
Links for the day
Microsoft Isn't Laying Off Tens of Thousands to 'Invest' in Slop ('Hey Hi'), It's Laying Off Tens of Thousands Because It's Running Out of Money (and Willing Lenders)
the layoffs are a sign of the business failing, not "hey hi" (whatever that is) replacing staff
Intel Lays Off 20% of Its Workforce, Microsoft is Doing the Same This Year
Like a yoyo, whatever goes up will come back down
Microsoft XBox Layoffs: Almost 2,000 Layoffs Became "Over 2,000"? (Over 20% of the Staff)
over 20% of staff will be let go, not counting staff that leaves voluntarily
GNU/Linux Rises to New Highs in Angola, Africa in General is Abandoning Windows
Western media barely covers Microsoft layoffs in Africa, but in recent years Microsoft culled the workforce and even shut down entire operations
Summer Plans in Techrights and Elsewhere
massive layoffs at Microsoft
Destination Geminispace (in the Age of LLM Slop and Slop Images That Infest the Web and Social Control Media)
Geminispace isn't vast, but at least it is - on average - a lot "cleaner"
GNU/Linux Growing in Sierra Leone This Year
Based on what statCounter is seeing, this year there are more and more people there who adopt GNU/Linux
Serial Sloppers Gonna Slop
More sites out there ought to call out the cheaters
Quartz (qz.com) is Spam and a Slopfarm
It used to be OK. Then they fired the staff.
Links 30/06/2025: US Economic Woes, Extreme Heat
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 29, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, June 29, 2025
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: "The AI Hype" and New AuraGem Ask
Links for the day