Microsoft Tag Privacy Supplement

Microsoft Tag Privacy Supplement

Last updated: February 2012

Note that this page is a supplement to the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement . In order to understand the data collection and use practices relevant for a particular site or service, you should read both the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement and any applicable supplement.

Applicability of Policy

This policy applies to:

"Microsoft Tag" branded mobile applications;
Tag scanning functionality that is in other Microsoft products; and
Tag scanning functionality in 3rd Party applications developed using the Microsoft Tag Scanning SDK.

In addition, the last section of this policy, and only the last section, applies to additional specific scenarios where you scan or open a Tag, QR code, or NFC touchpoint using an independent 3rd Party application. See the section below titled “Microsoft Tag Resolution Service” for more information.

For the purposes of this policy, the term “Tag” includes Microsoft Tags, QR codes, and NFC touchpoints.

Collection and Use of Information about Your Device

Information about your device ("standard device information") is sent to Microsoft each time you request content associated with a Tag or select Learn More, Provide Feedback, or Access the Privacy Statement and Terms of Use. Microsoft uses standard device information to provide you with the Tag Scanning service, to help improve our products and services, to help Tag creators provide more personalized content, and for statistical analysis. Standard device information includes information such as your phone model and version, Tag Scanning version, browser version, regional and language settings, and a unique identifier that identifies your device. Microsoft may send this information to the Tag creator so that they can provide more personalized services based on your device and their other Tags that you have scanned. The use of this information is subject to the Tag creator’s privacy practices. Microsoft is not responsible for third parties’ privacy practices. For the Microsoft branded mobile Tag applications, Microsoft uses your standard device information to check for and notify you of available updates to these applications.

If you have chosen to opt in, we may also automatically collect location data from your mobile device when you scan a Tag.

If you enable the sending of location information when you use Tag scanning functionality, information about your current location may be sent with your standard device information each time you request content associated with a Tag. This data includes cell tower information, GPS information, or an estimate of your location retrieved from the phone.

Your general location may be sent to a Tag creator when you scan their Tag in order to allow the content on their mobile website to be customized to your location.

Location information is also used to create reports for Tag creators to show where their Tags are scanned. The Tag creator may use this information to customize Tag content. These reports do not contain information that identifies you or your device. You can enable or disable the sending of location information. Some applications that use the Tag Service allow you to control location services within the application. You can also change your phone operating system settings to stop applications that use the Tag Service from sending location information. Refer to instructions for your application and phone operating system for more information.

Contact and Other Identifying Information

Scanning Tags does not send your mobile telephone number, name, or email address to Microsoft or the creator of the Tag. Tag creators may separately ask you for this contact or other identifying information. If you choose to provide this information, Tag creators may be able to identify you when you scan their other Tags.

Scanning Tags

When you scan a Tag, the Tag scanning functionality identifies the scanned Tag and retrieves online information from the creator of the Tag. This information is provided by the Tag creator and not by Microsoft. A history of scanned Tags may be stored on your device. For the Microsoft branded mobile Tag applications, you can view and delete stored Tags by selecting Menu->History and then selecting the stored Tags you want to view or delete.

Updates

For Microsoft branded mobile Tag applications on the Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone 7 platforms, your phone's App Store or Marketplace will notify you when an update to your version of the Tag application is available.

For all other platforms, Microsoft branded mobile Tag application will automatically check for available updates to your version of Tag each time you scan a Tag. If a new version of the software is available, you will receive a message that prompts you to install the update. You can manually check for available updates by selecting in Tag, Menu->Updates. If you choose to download an update, Tag connects to the download service using the data plan of your mobile device.

Microsoft Tag Resolution Service

The Microsoft Tag Resolution Service is the online service that delivers content (such as a URL for a website) to your mobile device when you scan a Microsoft Tag. The Resolution Service also provides this content when you scan a QR code or NFC touchpoint, but only if they were created with the Microsoft Tag Service. Third-party QR codes and NFC touchpoints created outside of the Microsoft Tag Service do not use the Microsoft Tag Resolution Service. The Microsoft Tag Resolution Service also provides this content when you open Shared Tag, Shared QR code, or Shared NFC touchpoint using an Internet browser (in each case, only if created with the Microsoft Tag Service).

This section of the Privacy statement, and only this section, applies to the specific scenarios when:

you scan a QR code or NFC touchpoint created on the Tag service using use an independent third party application, other than an application developed using the Microsoft Tag Scanning SDK; and
you open a Shared Tag, Shared QR code, or Shared NFC touchpoint in your Internet browser.

This section does not apply when you use Microsoft Tag branded mobile applications, Tag scanning functionality in other Microsoft products, nor Tag scanning functionality in 3rd Party applications developed using the Microsoft Tag Scanning SDK.

In the scenarios for which this section of the Privacy Statement applies, the Microsoft Tag Resolution Service may collect standard device information when it resolves a Microsoft Tag, QR code or NFC touchpoint. In these scenarios, the Microsoft Tag Resolution Service may also use cookies to collect information from your browser for analytic purposes.