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Software & cloud

Microsoft

microsoft.com

F

Where this can follow you

Names that appear in this document for other apps, parks, stores, or brands. A click here can be used there.

  • Affiliates and sister brands

People also accept these terms in

The same company terms often apply on these apps or devices. This is a lookup aid, not a claim we caught this company.

  • Xbox
  • Xbox Live
  • Xbox Game Pass
Open the original (new tab)Microsoft Privacy Statement
F

Risk score

71of 100

Read Sep 9, 2026

In short

  • This document tells you that Microsoft collects broad personal data, including precise location, voice, and biometric details, to run its products and train AI models.
  • It permits sharing your information with third parties for personalized advertising and allows retention of your data for vague "legitimate purposes" after you stop using a service.
  • You give up rights to some control over content stored in services like OneDrive and Outlook when law enforcement requests it.

What you accept

If you use this site

Everyday words for the material promises and rights you give up. Each line includes a quote from the document.

Fineprint cannot see whether you agreed. This page is posted on their site. Open the original if you need to know how they say it applies.

  1. 01

    You are agreeing to let Microsoft collect and use your personal data, including sensitive details like location and voice, to train AI models and show personalized ads.

    This product

    “As part of our efforts to improve and develop our products, we may use your data to develop, train, and fine-tune our AI models”
  2. 02

    You are agreeing that Microsoft can retain your personal data for as long as it defines necessary for legitimate business interests, not just for the active use of a service.

    Other products, stores, or brands

    “We also retain personal data for other legitimate purposes such as operating our business, meeting our contractual and legal obligations, improving and developing our products and services”

What it can cost you

Downsides we could quote

Quoted clauses that can affect your privacy, money, or right to go to court — including terms that follow you to other products.

Highest-cost clauses first

High cost

Location or sensitive-data over-collection

You are agreeing to share sensitive biometric data with Microsoft for identity verification purposes.

“Unique data about you from specific technical processing related to your physical, physiological, or behavioral characteristics to verify or confirm your identity. For instance, you can use your fingerprint or facial recognition to sign in”

What that means: You must provide biological identity markers to the company to use certain login features, creating a permanent record of your physical traits.

Microsoft collects and processes highly sensitive biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial geometry, to manage account security and device access.

High cost

Tracking you across apps

You are agreeing to cross-site tracking by third parties who set cookies on Microsoft sites to profile your online behavior.

“Third party cookies may be used for required purposes to provide the website or service, to show you ads and content based on your social media profiles and activities on our websites... to better understand how you and others use our websites so that we can make them better and so the third parties can improve their own products and services”

What that means: Your browsing habits and social media activity are tracked by outside companies to serve targeted ads and improve their own tools.

The policy explicitly allows third-party partners to track your activity across different websites and apps to build detailed profiles of your interests and social media presence for advertising.

High cost

Data sold or shared with third parties

You are agreeing to Microsoft purchasing and utilizing purchased demographic data from third-party brokers about you.

“We also receive data from Microsoft affiliates, subsidiaries, and third parties. We protect data obtained from third parties... Data brokers from which we purchase demographic data and contact information to supplement the data we collect.”

What that means: Brokers sell your personal information to Microsoft, allowing them to know more about you than what you directly provided.

Microsoft engages in the commercial exchange of personal data, purchasing detailed demographic and contact information from data brokers to enrich its user profiles.

High cost

Broad license to user content

You are agreeing to allow Microsoft to access and disclose your private content to third parties for security and legal reasons.

“Finally, we retain, access, transfer, disclose, and preserve personal data, including your content (like the content of your emails in Outlook.com or files in OneDrive), when we have a good faith belief that it is necessary to do any of the following: Comply with applicable law... Protect the safety of our customers... Operate and maintain the security of our products...”

What that means: Your private emails and documents can be accessed and shared by Microsoft whenever they decide it is needed, bypassing your privacy expectations.

The company grants itself broad rights to access, copy, and share your private communications and stored files with authorities or third parties without prior notice if they believe it is necessary for security or legal compliance.

Medium cost

Indefinite retention

You are agreeing to indefinite data retention based on the company's subjective assessment of its legitimate business needs.

“We also retain personal data for other legitimate purposes such as operating our business, meeting our contractual and legal obligations, improving and developing our products and services, protecting the safety and security of our systems and customers, and resolving disputes.”

What that means: Your data may stay in Microsoft's systems for an extended period even after you cancel a subscription or stop using a product.

Data is kept indefinitely if Microsoft claims a 'legitimate purpose' like business improvement or security, rather than being deleted shortly after you leave.

Lower cost

Children’s data

You are agreeing to allow Microsoft to collect data from children if a parent provides consent.

“When a child is under 13-or a higher age if required in their region-the child will need consent from their parent or guardian to create a Microsoft account.”

What that means: Parents gain control over the data collected from their children, but the service acknowledges collecting significant data from this demographic once consent is granted.

The policy outlines specific collection procedures for children, requiring parental consent to establish accounts and setting limits on advertising for minors.

If these terms already apply to you

Keep this list. Fineprint cannot undo or cancel something you already agreed to at the company.

We cannot see Agree on their site. With Premium, tap “I accepted these terms” if you already agreed to what Microsoft asks.

News for this company

First readings and wording changes we could quote — the same items that appear on News.

All News

  1. Updated · Terms of use

    Microsoft terms of use changed

    We quoted 13 wording changes below. The current grade is F.

    Wording we could quote

    • Changed

      Auto-renewal or hard-to-cancel paid terms

      Was

      “Also, we may charge you up to the amount you have approved, and we will notify you in advance of any change in the amount to be charged for recurring subscription Services.”

      Now

      “when you purchase the Services on a subscription basis... you agree that you are authorizing recurring payments... until the subscription for that Service is terminated by you or by Microsoft.”

    • Changed

      Forced arbitration or class-action waiver

      Was

      “**Summary of Arbitration Provisions** The Microsoft Services Agreement contains binding arbitration and class action waiver terms that apply to U.”

      Now

      “The Microsoft Services Agreement contains binding arbitration and class action waiver terms that apply to U.S. residents. You and we agree to submit disputes to a neutral arbitrator and not to sue in court in front of a judge or jury, except in small claims court.”

    • No longer quoted

      Terms follow you to parks, stores, and other products

      “** Many of our Services allow you to create, store or share Your Content or receive material from others.”

    • Changed

      Unilateral changes with little or no notice

      Was

      “We may change these Terms at any time, and we’ll tell you when we do.”

      Now

      “We may change these Terms at any time... Using the Services after the changes become effective means you agree to the new terms.”

    • Changed

      Broad license to user content

      Was

      “** When you provide your Data or Your Content to Bing Places, you grant Microsoft a worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, save, modify, aggregate, promote, transmit, display, and distribute your Data and Your Content (including intellectual property rights in your Data and Your Content), and sub-license any or all of the foregoing rights to third parties.”

      Now

      “you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content... to improve Microsoft products and services... Your Content may appear in demonstrations or materials that promote the Service.”

    • Changed

      Location or sensitive-data over-collection

      Was

      “, unauthorized sharing of copyrighted music or other copyrighted material, resale or other distribution of Bing maps, or taking photographs or video/audio recordings of others without their consent for processing of an individual’s biometric identifiers/information or any other purpose using any of the Services).”

      Now

      “your parent or guardian may have control over many aspects of your account... If you are the parent or legal guardian of a minor, you and the minor accept and agree to be bound by these Terms and are responsible for all use... including purchases”

    • Changed

      Liability shifted onto the user

      Was

      “[ Your Privacy ](#1_YourPrivacy) [ Your Content ](#2_yourContent) [ Code of Conduct ](#3_codeOfConduct) [ Using the Services & Support ](#4_usingTheServicesSupport) [ Using Third-Party Apps and Services ](#5_usingThird-PartyAppsAndServices) [ Service Availability ](#6_serviceAvailability) [ Updates to the Services or Software, and Changes to These Terms ](#7_updatesToTheServicesOrSoftwareAndChange”

      Now

      “MICROSOFT, AND OUR AFFILIATES... MAKE NO WARRANTIES... YOU BEAR THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE SERVICES. ... direct damages up to an amount equal to your Services fee for the month... (or up to $10.00 if the Services are free).”

    • Appeared

      Jury trial or court access waived

      “You and we irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state or federal courts in King County, Washington, for all disputes... that are not heard in arbitration or small claims court.”

    • Appeared

      Indefinite retention

      “we’ll delete Data or Your Content associated with your Microsoft account or will otherwise disassociate it from you... unless we are required by law to keep it... You should have a regular backup plan as Microsoft won’t be able to retrieve Your Content or Data once your account is closed.”

    • Appeared

      Tracking you across apps

      “information about your game play, activities and usage of games and XBOX Services will be tracked and shared with applicable third parties, including game developers and publishers... Microsoft may share limited account and usage-related information... with that party”

    • Appeared

      You take the risk of injury or death

      “To avoid possible injury, discomfort or eye strain... Discomfort might include feelings of nausea, motion sickness, dizziness... A very small percentage of people may experience seizures...”

    • Appeared

      Difficult or incomplete deletion

      “Closure of your access to a Service or your account may result in forfeiture of content licenses, associated content, memberships, and Microsoft account balances associated with the account.”

    • Appeared

      Children’s data

      “If you do not know whether you have reached the age of majority where you live... ask your parent or legal guardian for help. If you are the parent or legal guardian of a minor, you and the minor accept and agree to be bound by these Terms”

    Sep 29, 2026 · F

    Company pageSee what changed

  2. First reading · Terms of use

    We read the Microsoft terms of use

    Fineprint found 7 quoted terms clauses that match the consumer rubric. This is a reading aid, not legal advice.

    Sep 2, 2026 · F

    Company pageSee what changed

  3. First reading · Privacy policy

    We read the Microsoft privacy policy

    Fineprint found 5 quoted privacy clauses that match the consumer rubric. This is a reading aid, not legal advice.

    Sep 2, 2026 · D

    Company pageSee what changed