A group of privacy advocates expanded a complaint against Microsoft Corp, asking the US Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether there are adequate safeguards in the latest version of the company's Windows computer operating system.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center and others filed a complaint with the FTC on July 26, accusing Microsoft's Passport identification system of privacy violations and unfair trade practices. Passport collects personal information and is being incorporated into Windows XP, due to be released Oct. 25. Windows runs more than 90 percent of the world's personal computers.
"It is not our goal here to unnecessarily delay the release of XP," said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "It is our goal to have changes made to XP and the Passport system that will better protect the privacy and personal information of its users."
Microsoft has been criticized by rivals and government officials for its plan to bundle new services in XP. The FTC complaint is separate from the antitrust lawsuit by the Justice Department and 18 states that led to rulings Microsoft engaged in anticompetitive behavior.
The Passport program has about 100 million users, Rotenberg said, letting consumers store basic information about themselves so they can move between numerous Web sites without re-entering the information.
Privacy groups say they want Microsoft to change the way users sign up for XP to make it clear they don't have to enroll with Passport to use the operating system.
After the initial complaint in July, Microsoft reduced the amount of information users must provide to sign up for the Passport system. They still must supply an e-mail address.
"We were pleased that Microsoft acknowledged the privacy issues that we had identified, but we think there is a lot more that needs to be done," Rotenberg said.
The amended complaint also alleges Passport's cancellation procedures are too cumbersome and Microsoft keeps personal information on its servers for up to a year after a user's account expires.
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