Microsoft is testing a 'data bank' that gives users control over their personal information

[midian182]

A hot potato: 2018 was the year that people's data and the way companies protect it was thrown under the spotlight. It’s now been discovered that Microsoft is working on a project that will give users control over the information that is collected about them.

Twitter user Longhorn first discovered Project Bali, which is the work of the Microsoft Research team. They describe it as "a project that can delete all your connection and account information (inverseprivacyproject)."

Microsoft Bali is a project that can delete all your connection and account information (inverseprivacyproject).

It's currently in private beta still.

— Longhorn (@never_released) 2 January 2019

ZDNet found a link to the Bali Project page, though it has now been taken offline. The ‘About’ section describes it as a "new personal data bank which puts users in control of all data collected about them [...] The bank will enable users to store all data (raw and inferred) generated by them.”

The concept of inverse privacy was the subject of a 2014 paper by Microsoft researchers. Put simply, it describes pieces of your personal information that a party has access to, but you don’t. The authors write that users could benefit from owning this data.

Bali creates a personal data bank that allows users to view and manage the data companies hold on them; people can also share and even monetize this information, if they wish. Not only could the project be good for users, but businesses willing to take part would likely earn more trust from the public.

Bali had been described as still in the “initial stages” on its website, and Microsoft hasn’t revealed any details about the project, so don’t expect to see the final product for some time.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/78109-microsoft-testing-data-bank-gives-users-control-over.html

 

[Ravey]

A great idea if companies are willing to pay currency for your personal information. potentially it also puts control of your whole families personal data for your whole family, particularly any members for your family under the age of 18. You could in theory lock out all that info.

If it is a 'Bank' of sorts though, I'm assuming Microsoft will want some kind of commision or interest on any data they keep safe for you?

It still feels like a good deal to me

 

[ShagnWagn]

So, disabled by default, right? Something tells me I can't trust them.

I have never given a company my permission explicitly. They only steal my data by burying it in their eula, which nobody cares about/reads. How about making storing our personal/family data opt-in? Even if they can hold themselves back from selling our personal data to 3rd party companies, they are still storing it on their servers and possibly internet available. This can get hacked at any moment.

 

[m4a4]

I mean, I like the sound of monetizing my own data for my gain (beyond surveys for once). But realistically, unless you have a big family or a "unique" life or circumstance, I don't see it being very lucrative. Might pay for a coffee once in a while... which I guess is better than the alternative lol

 

[senketsu]

The irony would be is if to access your info bank you had to prove your identity by uploading all your personal data.

 

[Uncle Al]

Microsoft / Honesty is like:

Airline / Food
Military / Music
Army / Intelligence

Need I go on?

 

[OutlawCecil]

This is 100% where technology is going, but I have a feeling people don't want big names like Google, Facebook, or Microsoft to be the ones holding the keys.

I think LastPass or BitWarden need to handle this. They specialize in keeping your passwords safe. It'd trust them to keep my personal data safe as well. (Maybe Bitwarden a bit more than LastPass since LastPass was bought out by Citrix, but their technology is still very secure.)

 

[cliffordcooley]

I'm calling BS. Microsoft doesn't give us control over our own machines. They have spent the last ten years little by little taking our control away. It has gotten so bad the lack of control has phoned home so to speak. Now Microsoft has lost control and can't deliver a stable build. How are they going get us to believe this guarantee, when we know they can't deliver?

 

[Bullwinkle M]

Microsoft first collects your data illegally and now wants you to believe that "YOU" control the data?

To collect your data illegally, Microsoft uses blackmail and extortion in their licensing agreement, along with backdoors and other malware

Forcing end users to agree to allow their data to be collected just to use Windows is extortion

There is no option to say no and still use Windows, and forcing you to agree to the terms just to use Windows is Blackmail

Microsoft also "seems to" be using Malware and Rootkits to prevent using any Windows O.S. that is NOT backdoored

After trying a 90-day trial of Windows 8.1, I found that Windows XP would no longer install on my drives as the installation would crash after hitting 57% done

Even if I made a new partition and formatted it, and even if I used a different (Known good) Windows XP CD, the installation would crash at 57%

The only fix that worked was to use killdisk to wipe the first few % of the disk before making a new partition and format, after which, XP would install correctly from ANY of my discs

These were not Pirated copies of Windows XP either!
These were valid copies of Windows!

The rootkitlike malware that Microsoft adds to your drive is NOT DRM!

Windows DRM can be removed by simply removing Windows

The malware that Microsoft adds to your drive CANNOT be removed by simply removing Windows, or by formatting the drive, or by re-partitioning the drive

The only way to remove it is by wiping the drive!

By forcing you onto a modern Spyware Platform, Microsoft has prevented the end users from closing the backdoor in their firewall and forced you to give up ALL RIGHTS to your private data

End users cannot close the backdoored firewalls without killing their Internet connection

If you are online, then Microsoft has access to all of your data and profit directly from that access

One sided licensing agreements are wrong
Blackmail and extortion are wrong
Opt out, instead of opt in for data collection is wrong
Backdoors and forced updates are wrong
Preventing us from fixing what Microsoft breaks is wrong
Rootkits and malware are wrong

and finally, no-one in the media noticing any of this.....IS WRONG!

They notice all of it!
They simply won't admit it because there is too much profit to be made from these crimes