Microsoft, China and "profiling" internet users

We all know that whatever might be claimed otherwise, that use of the internet isn't 100% secure. The technology is great but there remain inherent issues on the use of the www. Needless to say how we "use" the internet and who we are is of considerable interest to people who devise search engines - and no doubt governments - and advertisers in particular.

This report on Reporters Without Borders on "profiling" internet-users is troubling indeed - and must make one pause and think how a simple and effective means of "communicating" has the real possibility to be open to abuse in the widest forms imagineable.

"Reporters Without Borders is worried about a report in the British magazine The New Scientist that a Microsoft laboratory based in China is carrying out research on software that can analyse the behaviour of Internet users with precision and draw up a profile of them (their age, sex, geographic origin and so on). The US software corporation’s aim is get to know its users better in order to deliver targeted advertising.

“The technologies Microsoft is working on would allow it to gather information about Internet users without their knowledge,” the press freedom organisation said. “These technologies could eventually lead to the creation of programmes that could identify ‘subversive’ citizens. This is obviously not Microsoft’s intention. But we believe it is unacceptable to carry out this kind of sensitive research in a country such as China where 50 people are currently in prison because of what they posted online.”

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