14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft plans to strip unique device identifiers from location data it collects from Windows smartphones in order to ensure that individual devices cannot be linked back to it.
The upcoming change was revealed in a letter [pdf] sent to members of the US House of Representatives by Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's mobile communications business, in response to questions about the company's location data gathering practices.
"[...] As part of its next scheduled update to existing Windows Phone 7 devices, updated devices will no longer send device identifiers to the location service and new phones arriving this fall will not send device identifiers to the location service," Mr. Lees wrote.
The Microsoft official further explained that Windows Phone devices collect location data in order to build a centralized database of wi-fi access points and cell towers so that devices can later use it to determine their location.
It is much quicker and less battery consuming for devices to query Microsoft's database and determine the location of the tower they are using in order to establish their own position, than relying on GPS.
"Microsoft’s collection of location data is focused squarely on finding landmarks that help determine a phone’s location more quickly and effectively.
"In our case, the landmarks we use are nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers. The information we collect and store helps us determine where those landmarks are, not where device users are located," Lees stressed in a recent blog post.
Nevertheless, even if the company claims not to be tracking the location of devices, unique identifiers are still being sent along with the collected data. The plan to strip this piece of information is meant to remove any doubt that devices are or could be tracked by Microsoft.
Ever since a pair of researchers raised concerns about an iPhone file storing location data, the topic of location tracking in the mobile industry has received a lot of attention in the media. Members of the US Congress have formally questioned Apple, Google and Microsoft over their practices in this respect.