[K Raghu]

The T&C have changed looks like we are being froogled but now by MS ?

Scroogled Mug, t-shirts, apparel and other gear – Microsoft Store

Your privacy and Microsoft personalized ads

Why you see personalized ads

Advertising keeps many of the services you use free of charge.

And, we work hard to ensure that the ads you see are safe and relevant to your interests. That's what personalized ads are all about.

But you're in control and here's where you can make the advertising choice that's right for you.

[hopmedic]

If you watch the video, you'll see the guy explain that it is done through cookies. Sites all over the web use this method, including this very site. I've searched on homedepot.com for an item for my house, and the next time I visited WPCentral, there was an ad with the exact same item. It is kind of unnerving, and I don't like it, so many times when I see one, I see if there's a way to shut it off. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.

The scroogled campaign was aimed directly at Google's scanning your email to direct ads at you. When I still used a gmail account (I haven't in over a year), I could get an email about Windows, and it might have an ad for windows (for the house).

Personally, I don't like either method of personalization, but like the email-scanning method far less. I can't put my finger on why - that's just how I feel. And while I do see your point in bringing up the topic, there is a difference in scanning email and tracking your web activities. At least with the web activities method, you can stop it in its tracks by dumping cookies when you exit the browser. At least that way you're only being tracked for that session. Surely there's a way to stop it completely, but I haven't had the ambition to explore it yet.

I see your point, but to Microsoft's defense, they are not doing what they called Google out for.

[Laura Knotek]

I use Ghostery to block tracking. It is available for Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari for desktop.