Microsoft collects Windows Phone 7 user location data

Like Apple and Google, Microsoft collects records of the physical locations of customers who use its mobile operating system.

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Windows Phone 7, supported by manufacturers including Dell, HTC, LG, Nokia and Samsung, transmits to Microsoft a miniature data dump including a unique device ID, details about nearby Wi-Fi networks, and the phone's GPS-derived exact latitude and longitude.

A Microsoft representative was not immediately able to answer questions from ZDNet UK's sister site CNET News on Monday, including how long the location histories are stored and how frequently the phone's coordinates are transmitted over the internet. Windows Phone currently claims about a six percent market share but, according to IDC, will capture about 21 percent by 2015 thanks to Microsoft's partnership with Nokia.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Microsoft collects locations of Windows phone users on CNET News.