---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Ralph Nader on WINDOWS 95 Problems ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * To: tap-info@tap.org * Subject: Ralph Nader on WINDOWS 95 Problems * From: James Love * Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 08:29:46 -0400 (EDT) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- TAP-INFO - An Internet newsletter available from listproc@tap.org ----------------------------------------------------------------- TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT - INFORMATION POLICY NOTE July 31, 1995 MICROSOFT WINDOWS 95 - Ralph Nader and James Love send letter to Clinton Administration outlining criticism of two features of Microsoft WINDOWS 95. - Letter objects to Microsoft decision to "bundle" its new Microsoft Network (MSN) with WINDOWS 95, and the Microsoft "Registration Wizard," which provides Microsoft with information on files located on customer hard disk. - Nader and Love express support for Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust action to address both problems, and ask Clinton to prevent federal agencies from buying WINDOWS 95 until the information gathering features of the "Registration Wizard" are disabled or modified. jamie (love@tap.org; 202/387-8030) The letter follows. Ralph Nader P.O. Box 19312, Washington, DC 20036 James Love Consumer Project on Technology P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036 love@tap.org; voice 202/387-8030 July 26, 1995 President William Clinton the White House Washington, DC Dear President Clinton, We are writing to ask you and your administration to take actions which address problems arising from Microsoft's near monopoly position in the market for personal computer operating systems. As you know, two features of Microsoft's WINDOWS 95 software have been widely criticized -- the "bundling of Microsoft Network (MSN) and Microsoft's online "Registration Wizard." These issues are discussed below. 1. Microsoft Network. The "bundling" of Microsoft Network (MSN) with WINDOWS 95 has raised alarm among Microsoft's competitors that Microsoft will use its dominate market position for operating system software to give MSN an enormous advantage over its rivals in the market for online service providers. In brief, Microsoft has written its new version of Windows with a built-in way to register for its new online service. According to reports by beta users of the product, Microsoft has given the MSN a very high priority, including a special icon which cannot be deleted by the user, and periodic queries by the operating system to the user, encouraging registration. Apparently no other rival online services vendor will have the opportunity to receive similar status within Windows 95. In our view, Microsoft's actions are a predictable attempt to exploit its dominance in the operating system market to benefit its penetration into other fields that are potentially more competitive. One analogy to this practice is in the area of airplane reservations. American Airlines operated the dominant online service for airline reservations, and arranged the available flights in alphabetical order, giving American Airlines what turned out to be a large advantage over its rivals. The government subsequently regulated this practice, so that the online reservations systems would not be used in an anti- competitive manner. We believe it is appropriate and justified for the Department of Justice to take actions that would prevent Microsoft from bundling MSN with WINDOWS 95 as has been done in their beta releases of the product. 2. Registration Wizard. Another objectionable feature of WINDOWS 95 is the Microsoft online "Registration Wizard." This part of the program is designed to scan automatically a user's hard disk, dial-up Microsoft, and download information to Microsoft about the files on the user's hard disk, including the titles and versions of software applications. Critics of this practice, including the Department of Defense, have questioned the impact of this practice on data security and privacy. Microsoft's rivals also believe that it will give Microsoft an enormous advantage in marketing by virtue of the fact that it gives Microsoft excellent intelligence on its competitors, including the names and addresses of their customers. Microsoft has defended the Wizard by saying that the information is gathered to help its product support personnel debug its software, and that consumers can choose not to send the information to Microsoft. We believe that both arguments are disingenuous. First of all, the registration process is separate from customer service, and if Microsoft really wanted to use the information for customer service it could devise far less intrusive methods of doing so, such as a program to printout relevant information for use during a consumer service call, rather than at the point of registration. Secondly, consumers are likely to be confused and intimidated by the registration process, because of concerns that this complex software might not function correctly if they refuse to give Microsoft the information it wants to collects. In our view, the Registration Wizard is an intrusive measure that uses technology to erode customer privacy, and we urge you to take steps to discourage its use. Specifically, we urge you to ask OMB officials Sally Katzen, Administer of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), and Stephen Kelman, Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, to issue a directive to all federal agencies, advising them not to purchase WINDOWS 95 with the Registration Wizard. This would be similar to the very successful actions taken by federal agencies in the 1980's to refuse to purchase spreadsheet and database software that placed "hidden" files on hard disks as part of copyright protection schemes, a proactive measure which moved the entire market away from such ill-conceived practices. We also believe it is appropriate and justified for the Department of Justice to take actions that would prevent Microsoft from sharing the information gathered from the Registration Wizard with its marketing personnel. Please let us know what you will do about these important matters. Sincerely Ralph Nader James Love Consumer Project on Technology ps: Of course, we were pleased to read press reports that Microsoft recently said it would make the MSN abide by the European Union's Directive on Data Protection, and we urge Microsoft's competitors in online services, such as American Online, Prodigy or Compuserve, to embrace these rules which protect customer privacy. --------------------------------------------------------------------- TAP-INFO is an Internet Distribution List provided by the Taxpayer Assets Project (TAP). TAP was founded by Ralph Nader to monitor the management of government property, including information systems and data, government funded R&D, spectrum allocation and other government assets. TAP-INFO reports on TAP activities relating to federal information policy. 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