Microsoft Can Track Users via a Windows Device ID
A criminal complaint reveals that Microsoft uses a 'Global Device ID' to track Windows PCs, which helped the FBI link a suspect to a hacking group. This discovery has raised privacy concerns regarding the extent of Microsoft's ability to monitor user activity.
Why it matters
The revelation highlights the tension between law enforcement's ability to track cybercriminals and the privacy implications of persistent, non-opt-out device tracking.
<p>The arrest of a teenage hacker has revealed that Microsoft can track a Windows PC and its online activity through a "Global Device ID" that seems to have no easy opt-out, sparking fears about potential surveillance. </p><p>Last week, the US announced it had <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/alleged-member-criminal-cyber-hacking-group-scattered-spider-arrested-finland-and-extradited" target="_blank" title="(Opens in a new tab)">extradited</a> 19-year-old Peter Stokes from Europe for allegedly being a member of the notorious hacking group <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/notorious-hacking-group-scattered-spider-targets-us-airlines" target="_self">Scattered Spider.</a> But the case stands out because Microsoft played a key role in linking Stokes to the suspected hacking crimes, according to an unsealed criminal complaint. </p><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20768%20432'%3E%3Crect%20fill='%23f7f7f7'%20/%3E%3C/svg%3E" class="" data-image-loader="https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/02VZVE6JO9dXqKyKowYhZzj-6.png" data-lazy-sized alt="Peter Stokes" data-image-path="articles/02VZVE6JO9dXqKyKowYhZzj-6.png">
The article presents the facts of the legal case and the resulting privacy concerns neutrally.
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