The new Outlook now appears to be a data collection service for Microsoft’s 801 external partners for targeted advertising.
  • TWeaK@lemm.eeEnglish
    301·
    9 months ago

    If we ever needed any doubt that the whole Office365 suite is spyware remember that they introduced a function that monitored your keyboard and mouse activity and then provided an “engagement score” to employers. They “shelved” that functionality.

    Office365 costs $99 per year. They charge you for the software they use to steal your data.

  • solarvector@lemmy.zip
    121·
    9 months ago

    The beauty of Outlook and Office 365 in general is that most people don’t have a choice about using it or not. Although I suppose the same people that claim it’s a choice to not die or live of the grid (which isn’t really an option anymore) would claim you can just find another job.

  • d00ery@lemmy.world
    3·
    9 months ago

    I access my MS Outlook emails using the Gmail app on android, I do wonder if Google does the same in storing passwords and having access to those emails. (Not defending Microsoft here, a genuine question I might even look up)

    Just skimming the text, and the fact that it shows the Microsoft login screen leads me to believe it’s not storing login details on Google servers.

    https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

    Also, my source for FOSS alternatives: https://alternativeto.net/software/microsoft-office-outlook/?license=opensource

    • elshandra@lemmy.world
      6·
      9 months ago

      If Google and Microsoft are reading all of the emails in gmail/o365 (they could), then half of your data is probably getting caught by the recipient, or quoted in their replies anyway. Along with your email address of course. It’s a losing battle.

      e: oh you’re worried about that. There will be a token that maintains the authentication, Google (probably) won’t have your Microsoft password - they don’t need to store it, or even use it ever. The technical term is SSO (single sign-on), if you want to delve into it.

      • d00ery@lemmy.world
        3·
        9 months ago

        SSO, yes I wasn’t sure. Better practice than the outlook client storing login details on their server!

        Good point on the replies lol. No matter how much I might try to keep my email provider out of my data, by sending the email to someone else it their email client might share it!

        • elshandra@lemmy.world
          2·
          9 months ago

          Oh right, if you save your passwords in the Google browser, or your Google phone… They might be stored in Google’s servers in some fashion - to allow you to share them between devices for example. But you do have to enable this functionality (assuming Google isn’t evil).

          Well outlook is a complicated one, your credentials absolutely need to be stored in a place your (pop/imap/…) mail server can read from. Else how can they be validated. So if that’s Microsoft, then technically they have your credentials.

          Any mail provider that isn’t evil, won’t be able to read your stored credentials until current one way encryption methods are no longer safe

          e: in the case of stored/shared browser passwords, I that’s two way encryption… That’s less safe, I recommend not doing so if you can handle the inconvenience.

  • harsh3466@lemmy.ml
    2·
    9 months ago

    I’m glad I left the world of Microsoft and am not forced to use it in my job. Apple still has its hooks in me right now, but I’ve minimized their collection as much as possible and have been moving away from Apple as much as possible as well.