Microsoft Tones Down Tracking Amid Privacy Debate

Microsoft said it improved location filtering so phones and laptops no longer return exact locations. The data, used to triangulate a phone's position, was publicly accessible.

"We are keenly aware of the sensitivity around all privacy issues, especially those surrounding geolocation", said Reid Kuhn, a manager of the Windows Phone engineering team.

The update comes in the wake of a report from Stanford security researcher Elie Bursztein, who alleged Windows devices stored Wi-Fi data that may be used to pinpoint past locations. Every Wi-Fi device has a unique ID, called a "MAC address", which had been able to be tracked.

"We have been in contact with Elie and we will continue the ongoing dialog with experts in the privacy field to improve our service offerings", Kuhn added.

Location data has legitimate uses, such as predicting traffic jams, but the ability to pinpoint a specific user's location brings up privacy concerns.

In April, Apple and Google were caught tracking users on iOS and Android devices. Apple's devices stored up to a year's worth of unencrypted location data, while Android handsets stored anonymized data over a shorter duration. The practice of recording and sending location information set off intense scrutiny and criticism around privacy issues, revealing how extensive the collection of private data was with companies and how poorly understood it was among consumers.

Regulators eventually questioned the companies on how they handle location-tracking information, which may lead to further restrictions to protect consumer privacy.

Microsoft has largely been open about its data gathering procedures, which had cast it in a favorable light amid Congressional inquiries into privacy issues. Windows software was not involved in the tracking investigation.

The company's move to improve the location tracking of Windows devices is a proactive step to avoid the controversy surrounding Apple and Google, but as Congress mulls over legislation to safeguard data, tech companies may need to do more to appease privacy advocates.