Microsoft Admits Windows Genuine Advantage Phones Home

I am very paranoid when it comes to my online privacy. So naturally it has been quite startling to me to notice that whenever I boot my PC my browser automatically connects to some 207.xxx.xxx.xxx IP address every time.

I have a Mcafee firewall with a GUI whois and traceroute function that I used to find information about the owner of the IP address that I find every time I boot up. Needless to say the IP address belongs to a range of class C IP addresses owned by Microsoft, located in Redmond Washington.

Recently Microsoft admitted that the Windows Genuine Validation software they distributed via Windows update, to ensure that no one is using pirated versions of their software, was secretly endowed with the ability to clandestinely “phone home” giving Microsoft unprecedented access to consumer machines.

When they finally ‘fessed up recently and admitted that they have been using their WGA software to make XP users computers “phone home” to Microsoft, I was relieved on one hand, but disgusted on the other. What we knew about this annoying WGA update before Microsoft’s recent confession was bad enough to cause many to refuse to install the download all together.

I refused WGA until Microsoft instituted a policy that basically denied security updates (via Microsoft’s windows update site) to users that refuse to install WGA. When I finally gave in I almost immediately noticed the change that occurred at every boot.

Of course Microsoft claims that there is no sensitive or private information being transmitted when the application phones home and it is doing so simply to preserve the security and stability of the application. Unfortunately, the fact that they neglected to disclose the full functionality of WGA when it was released leads many people (including myself) to believe that Microsoft is not acting in good faith in this matter.

While there are no plans to eliminate the phone home aspect of the application, Microsoft has indicated a willingness to reduce the number of times the software uses your bandwidth to contact them. How nice of them! At least (as yet) they haven’t tried to install spy cameras in our homes or chips in our brains, but I’m sure they’ll get around to that eventually.

I am very paranoid when it comes to my online privacy. So naturally it has been quite startling to me to notice that whenever I boot my PC my browser automatically connects to some 207.xxx.xxx.xxx IP address every time.

I have a Mcafee firewall with a GUI whois and traceroute function that I used to find information about the owner of the IP address that I find every time I boot up. Needless to say the IP address belongs to a range of class C IP addresses owned by Microsoft, located in Redmond Washington.

Recently Microsoft admitted that the Windows Genuine Validation software they distributed via Windows update, to ensure that no one is using pirated versions of their software, was secretly endowed with the ability to clandestinely “phone home” giving Microsoft unprecedented access to consumer machines.

When they finally ‘fessed up recently and admitted that they have been using their WGA software to make XP users computers “phone home” to Microsoft, I was relieved on one hand, but disgusted on the other. What we knew about this annoying WGA update before Microsoft’s recent confession was bad enough to cause many to refuse to install the download all together.

I refused WGA until Microsoft instituted a policy that basically denied security updates (via Microsoft’s windows update site) to users that refuse to install WGA. When I finally gave in I almost immediately noticed the change that occurred at every boot.

Of course Microsoft claims that there is no sensitive or private information being transmitted when the application phones home and it is doing so simply to preserve the security and stability of the application. Unfortunately, the fact that they neglected to disclose the full functionality of WGA when it was released leads many people (including myself) to believe that Microsoft is not acting in good faith in this matter.

While there are no plans to eliminate the phone home aspect of the application, Microsoft has indicated a willingness to reduce the number of times the software uses your bandwidth to contact them. How nice of them! At least (as yet) they haven’t tried to install spy cameras in our homes or chips in our brains, but I’m sure they’ll get around to that eventually.