In October last year, after these demands were published, Microsoft fired two employees who organized a vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza.
Speech & moderationConfirmedYou decide
Microsoft censors politically sensitive Chinese names in US searches
Microsoft censors politically sensitive Chinese names in US searches according to a cybersecurity report.
Microsoft Recalls AC Power Cords for Surface Pro Devices Due to Fire, Shock Hazards
Microsoft Recalls AC Power Cords for Surface Pro Devices Due to Fire, Shock Hazards
Wages & economic policyOfficial statementAgainst
Microsoft Corporation shifted profits on U.S. sales to U.S. customers from the United States to an offshore tax haven
In September, we examined two case studies: (1) a study of how Microsoft Corporation shifted profits on U.S. sales to U.S. customers from the United States to an offshore tax haven; and (2) a study of how Hewlett-Packard devised a “staggered foreign loan program” to effectively repatriate offshore profits to the United States without paying U.S. taxes that are supposed to follow repatriation.
The dispute centers on a 2012 IRS audit into transfer pricing, a method used by companies to shift profits to tax havens and avoid the US corporate tax rate. At the time, Microsoft had been moving billions of dollars in profits to such jurisdictions as Puerto Rico, a US territory that levies a much lower corporate rate.
Tax Code – Part 1 (Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard),” S.Hrg.112-781 (Sept. 20, 2012); “Offshore Profit Shifting and the U.S. Tax Code - Part 2 (Apple Inc.),” S.Hrg.
In September, we examined two case studies: (1) a study of how Microsoft Corporation shifted profits on U.S. sales to U.S. customers from the United States to an offshore tax haven; and (2) a study of how Hewlett-Packard devised a “staggered foreign loan program” to effectively repatriate offshore profits to the United States without paying U.S. taxes that are supposed to follow repatriation.
Corporate conductAllegationAgainst
Microsoft is accused of closing email accounts without warning
Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
Microsoft launches investigation into alleged Israeli military surveillance using Azure - Business and Human Rights Centre
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
According to a recent BBC report, Palestinians abroad accuse Microsoft of unfairly closing their email accounts without warning, disrupting access to essential services like banking and job offers.
USA: Protest at Microsoft HQ targets alleged ties to Israeli military operations in Gaza - Business and Human Rights Centre
ManufacturingConfirmedYou decide
Microsoft shuttered 15+ China offices
Microsoft shut down 15 or more offices in China, relocating Surface and Xbox production and cutting 400 Azure jobs.
Microsoft shuttered 15+ China offices, moved Surface and Xbox production out, and cut 400 Azure jobs while China contributes just 2% of its global revenue.
Privacy & surveillanceProposed settlementAgainst
Microsoft was settled by the FTC for illegally collecting children's data
FTC Will Require Microsoft to Pay $20 million over Charges it Illegally Collected Personal Information from Children without Their Parents’ Consent.
The agency charged that Microsoft gathered the data without notifying parents or obtaining their consent, and that it also illegally held onto the data.
Microsoft will pay $20M to settle U.S. charges of illegally collecting children's data | AP News
As part of a settlement, Microsoft agreed to comply with the law to protect children’s privacy on Xbox Live and to get parental consent for the personal information it collected from children’s accounts created before May 2021.
Microsoft blocked my account access for “security” purposes and said I had the wrong login info when trying to get into my Xbox live account.
This article Microsoft Liable To $20M Penalty For Violation Of Childrens' Privacy originally appeared on Benzinga.com
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) agreed to pay $20 million to settle the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's charges of user privacy violation by collecting personal information from children who signed up for its Xbox gaming system without notifying their parents and illegally retaining their data.
The agency charged that Microsoft gathered the data without notifying parents or obtaining their consent, and that it also illegally held onto the data.
The FTC said Microsoft violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by not properly getting parental consent and by retaining personal data on children under 13 for longer than necessary for accounts created before 2021.
Microsoft will pay $20m (£16m) to US federal regulators after it was found to have illegally collected data on children who had started Xbox accounts.
According to the consumer protection agency, Microsoft allegedly collected and retained the personal information of children who had signed up for the Xbox Live service without requesting their parents' consent or even notifying them.
Microsoft has agreed to pay a $20 million fine and change data privacy procedures for children to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges over Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) violations.
As part of a settlement, Microsoft agreed to comply with the law to protect children's privacy on Xbox Live and to get parental consent for the personal information it collected from children's accounts created before May 2021.
Microsoft to pay $20 million over FTC charges surrounding kids' data collection
Microsoft will pay a fine of $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally collected and retained the data of children who signed up to use its Xbox video game console.
The agency charged that Microsoft gathered the data without notifying parents or obtaining their consent, and that it also illegally held onto the data.
The order also extends to third-party game publishers Microsoft shares children’s data with.
“Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children’s privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
The FTC’s order also requires Microsoft to take steps to strengthen privacy protections for child users of the Xbox system.
Microsoft to Pay $20M to Settle FTC Charges It Violated Children's Privacy - CNET
In addition to the $20 million civil penalty and injunctive provisions that have become standard in FTC COPPA cases, the proposed order will require Microsoft to implement new business practices to increase privacy protections for Xbox users under 13.
Among other things, if parents haven’t created a separate account for their kids, Microsoft must let them know that a separate account will provide additional privacy protections for their child by default. The company also must maintain a system to delete, within two weeks from the collection date, all personal information collected from kids for the purpose of getting parental consent unless the parent grants consent within that time.
The FTC alleges that by collecting personal information from kids under 13 before getting their parents involved, Microsoft violated Section 312.5 of COPPA.
$20 million FTC settlement addresses Microsoft Xbox illegal collection of kids’ data: A game changer for COPPA compliance | Federal Trade Commission
$20 million FTC settlement addresses Microsoft Xbox illegal collection of kids’ data: A game changer for COPPA compliance
Under the proposed order, that includes the video game publishers who must now be told by Microsoft when a user is under 13.
And if Microsoft discloses personal information about children to video game publishers, Microsoft must tell them the user is a child – a key provision that will put those publishers on notice that they, too, must apply COPPA protections to that child.
The proposed settlement with Microsoft sends a strong reminder to companies that the phrase “personal information” under COPPA covers much more than just a name or address.
The proposed settlement with Microsoft sends a strong reminder to companies that the phrase “personal information” under COPPA covers much more than just a name or address. It also includes other information concerning the child or the parents of the child collected online from the child – for example, things like avatars, biometrics, vital signs, and health data, when collected and combined with other categories of personal information set forth in the Rule.
The FTC says Microsoft violated that provision by collecting kids’ names, email addresses, and phone numbers up front and only after that did the company notify parents and ask for their consent.
What’s more, it didn’t include a mandatory explanation for how parents can ask Microsoft to delete their child’s personal information and to stop collecting it in the future.
Here, though, Microsoft collected certain personal information from children during the account registration process, but even if the company ultimately didn’t get parental consent, the FTC says that from 2015 until 2020, Microsoft held on to that data – often for years after the account creation process wasn’t completed.
The FTC’s action focuses on three ways in which Microsoft allegedly violated COPPA: 1) by collecting personal information from kids under 13 before notifying their parents and getting parental consent; 2) by failing to tell parents about the information the company collects from kids, why it’s collecting that information, and the fact that it discloses some of the data to third parties; and 3) by retaining kids’ personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary.
Filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf, the $20 million proposed settlement will require Microsoft to bolster privacy protections for kids who use its Xbox gaming system. The order also makes it clear that COPPA covers information like avatars generated from a child’s image, biometric data, and health data collected with other personal information – and reminds businesses that the Rule imposes strict limitations on the retention of data from kids.
As part of a proposed order filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC, Microsoft will be required to take several steps to bolster privacy protections for child users of its Xbox system.
“Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children’s privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Microsoft will pay $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal information from children who signed up to its Xbox gaming system without notifying their parents or obtaining their parents’ consent, and by illegally retaining children’s personal information.
For example, the order will extend COPPA protections to third-party gaming publishers with whom Microsoft shares children’s data.
Proposed order will require Microsoft to bolster protections for children; makes clear that avatars and biometric and health data are protected under COPPA
FTC Will Require Microsoft to Pay $20 million over Charges it Illegally Collected Personal Information from Children without Their Parents’ Consent
Blog: $20 million FTC settlement addresses Microsoft Xbox illegal collection of kids’ data: A game changer for COPPA compliance
1923258 This statement accompanies the stipulated order for permanent injunction and civil penalty judgment (“Order”) executed by defendant Microsoft Corporation (“Microsoft”) in a settlement of an action brought to obtain civil penalties and equitable relief from Microsoft for engaging in acts or practices in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”), 15 U.S.C.
The settlement requires Microsoft to pay a monetary judgment in the amount of $20 million.
For the foregoing reasons, the Commission believes that the settlement by entry of the attached Order with Microsoft is justified and well within the public interest.
§ 45(m)(3), the Commission hereby sets forth its reasons for settlement by entry of this Order: On the basis of the allegations contained in the attached complaint, the Commission believes that the $20 million civil penalty, along with various injunctive provisions, constitutes an appropriate settlement. The civil penalty coupled with injunctive relief enjoining Microsoft from violating the COPPA Rule in connection with operating the Xbox Live Service or any equivalent or similar game service constitute an effective means to assure Microsoft’s future compliance and deter others who might violate COPPA.
The civil penalty coupled with injunctive relief enjoining Microsoft from violating the COPPA Rule in connection with operating the Xbox Live Service or any equivalent or similar game service constitute an effective means to assure Microsoft’s future compliance and deter others who might violate COPPA.
District Court for the Western District of Washington, the United States alleges that Microsoft knew that certain users were children but nonetheless continued to collect personal information, such as telephone numbers, before notifying parents of Microsoft’s information collection practices and before obtaining parental consent.
Microsoft Agrees to Pay $20 Million Civil Penalty for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy Laws
Finally, the complaint alleges that in certain instances when children started, but did not complete, creating Xbox Live accounts, Microsoft retained their personal information for longer than permitted by the COPPA Rule.
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced today that the United States has resolved a case against Microsoft Corp. regarding its practices for collecting and retaining personal information from children who use Microsoft’s Xbox Live service.
“I commend Microsoft for quickly acknowledging it was illegally collecting and retaining personal data of children younger than 13, and for taking steps to fix the problem.”
“Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children’s privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The stipulated order issued by the court today requires Microsoft to pay $20 million in civil penalties and imposes injunctive relief to settle allegations that Microsoft violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) in connection with the Xbox Live service, which consumers use to connect online and with others through the Xbox brand of gaming consoles.
Office of Public Affairs | Microsoft Agrees to Pay $20 Million Civil Penalty for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy Laws | United States Department of Justice
“This settlement requires Microsoft to clearly communicate with parents about their child’s data and sets up procedures to monitor Microsoft’s compliance with federal statutes regarding children’s online privacy.
Justice Department Settles with Microsoft to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims
Workplace equityConfirmedYou decide
Microsoft rolls back DEI programs and removes hate speech protections on LinkedIn
Microsoft kowtowed to Trump administration pressure by rolling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments and removing hate speech protections on LinkedIn.
But the company has also kowtowed to pressure from the Trump administration to roll back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commitments and has removed some hate speech protections on LinkedIn, which Microsoft owns.
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Microsoft seeks to disrupt cybercriminal AI bypass tools
Microsoft seeks to disrupt a sophisticated scheme by cybercriminals who have developed tools to bypass generative AI safety guardrails.
“By this action, Microsoft seeks to disrupt a sophisticated scheme carried out by cybercriminals who have developed tools specifically designed to bypass the safety guardrails of generative AI services provided by Microsoft and others,” lawyers wrote in a complaint filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia and unsealed Friday.
Privacy & surveillanceConfirmedIn favor
Microsoft limits student data use for AI training
Microsoft cannot train AI models on student or educator data and must limit data collection with plain-language disclosures.
Microsoft cannot train models on student or educator data, must limit data collection and provide plain-language disclosures, while AI companions are prohibited and high-risk decisions require human oversight.
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Microsoft misleads consumers about account security
Microsoft misleads consumers by claiming accounts are not secure unless Passport is used.
Microsoft misleads consumers by claiming that their accounts are not secure unless they use passport.
Privacy & surveillanceAllegationAgainst
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) sued Microsoft Ireland Operations over its alleged unlawful processing of personal data for advertising purposes
Microsoft Ireland Operations is being sued in the first ever High Court representative action under new legislation over its alleged unlawful processing of personal data which generates billions in advertising revenue.
Microsoft Ireland Operations is being sued in the first ever High Court representative action under new legislation over its alleged unlawful processing of personal data which generates billions in advertising revenue.
Microsoft making billions from alleged unlawful processing of data for advertising, lawsuit alleges – The Irish Times
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Microsoft pays $25 million to settle corruption charges
Securities and Exchange Commission said Microsoft will pay about $16.6 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Microsoft pays $25 million to settle corruption charges | AP News
While the case centered on Hungary, the SEC said it also found improprieties at Microsoft offices in Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Turkey.
The Justice Department said Microsoft will also pay an $8.75 million criminal fine stemming from the Hungarian bid-rigging and bribery scheme.
NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is paying more than $25 million to settle federal corruption charges involving a bribery scheme in Hungary and other foreign offices.
The software maker's Hungarian subsidiary entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and a cease-and-desist order with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft said in an email to employees from Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith that was posted Monday on the company's web site.
Microsoft also agreed to pay nearly $16.6 million to settle related civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its activities in Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Turkey, without admitting wrongdoing.
Securities and Exchange Commission said Microsoft will pay about $16.6 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Microsoft pays $25 million to settle corruption charges
While the case centered on Hungary, the SEC said it also found improprieties at Microsoft offices in Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Turkey.
NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is paying more than $25 million to settle federal corruption charges involving a bribery scheme in Hungary and other foreign offices.
The Justice Department said Microsoft will also pay an $8.75 million criminal fine stemming from the Hungarian bid-rigging and bribery scheme.
Microsoft to shell out $25 million to settle bribery charges - CNET
Microsoft has settled bribery charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department.
Microsoft agreed Monday to pay more than $25 million, including an $8.7 million criminal penalty, to settle charges that it bribed government officials in Hungary.
Microsoft said it would settle a federal corruption charge that it was involved in an illegal bribery scheme in Hungary and pay $25 million in fines to put the matter to rest. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said the Washington state-based tech giant would pay approximately $16.6 million to settle charges that several of its subsidiaries violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Microsoft said it would settle a federal corruption charge that it was involved in an illegal bribery scheme in Hungary and pay $25 million in fines to put the matter to rest.
Office of Public Affairs | Hungary Subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation Agrees to Pay $8.7 Million in Criminal Penalties to Resolve Foreign Bribery Case | United States Department of Justice
In a related matter with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Microsoft Corporation agreed to pay to the SEC disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling approximately $16,565,151 for conduct in Hungary.
In a related matter with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Microsoft Corporation agreed to pay to the SEC disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling approximately $16,565,151 for conduct including Hungary.
Microsoft Corporation – The company agreed to pay more than $24 million to settle SEC charges related to FCPA violations in Hungary, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Turkey and criminal charges related to Hungary.
Based on the foregoing, the Securities and Exchange Commission finds that Microsoft violated Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A) and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act, and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1 and 13a-13 promulgated thereunder.
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") deems it appropriate that public administrative proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted pursuant to Section 21C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") to determine whether Microsoft Corporation ("Respondent") violated Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1 and 13a-13 thereunder.
SEC Charges Microsoft Corporation with FCPA Violations
July 22, 2019 - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Microsoft Corporation has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with its operations in four different foreign based subsidiaries.
July 22, 2019 - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Microsoft Corporation has agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with its operations in four different foreign based subsidiaries.
Reproductive careConfirmedYou decide
Microsoft covers abortion travel costs
Microsoft expanded employee benefits to include travel expenses for abortion care.
Microsoft isn’t the only company that seems to contradict its own politics by promising to cover abortion travel costs for employees, while at the same time donating to political action committees that funded the governors and attorneys general who fought to overturn Roe v.