Microsoft Plans 4 new Privacy ‘Initiatives,’ Including Resource ‘Repository’

Microsoft sees privacy “as a fundamental human right” and is committed to giving customers “the information and controls they need to make the choices that are right for them about how data is collected and used,” Chief Privacy Officer Brandon Lynch said in a Thursday blog post. A website directed at consumers linked to in the blog post included a statement from CEO Satya Nadella and privacy pledges. They include transparency, security, "strong legal protections," "no content-based targeting" and consumer control. “People today keep more information on their phones than they previously kept in their entire house,” Lynch said. “And most of this, often sensitive information, is connected to the cloud. In an era of rapidly evolving and increasingly personal technology, we know that people won’t use technology they don’t trust. Technology advances, but timeless values, like privacy, must also endure.” Microsoft “in the months ahead” plans to introduce four new privacy “initiatives,” Lynch said. It promises, he said: (1) a “comprehensive repository” of information and training resources “designed to help privacy, legal and compliance professionals understand, achieve and verify the compliance requirements of their organization’s cloud deployments”; (2) “roundtable events” around the world to discuss “the urgent compliance issues,” including data security, and “personal information privacy” for consumers, employees and students; (3) new investments in training programs “that focus on the skills and knowledge compliance professionals need to oversee safe, secure and compliant cloud deployments”; and (4) “regular updates” on Microsoft efforts “to strengthen the privacy, security and compliance protections of the Microsoft cloud.” Lynch didn’t mention the recent Apple-FBI legal battle over access to encrypted data on an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, California, terror attacks (see 1603290059).