Why does Microsoft maintain an SSID AP _optout_ out Wi-Fi sense database if they're not using it?

[Wally J]

If Microsoft truly stopped using the SSID "_optout_" directive in the 2016
anniversary addition of Windows10, then why then do they maintain this?
<https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/location-services-opt-out>

That site was kindly confirmed by Andy Burns in the Android newsgroup
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/wc35HXj1zDE/m/fo4KVBvnAAAJ>

Given 99.9 out of 100 people are not only incredibly ignorant but also
unfathomably rude to everyone around them, I don't want to be one of them.

I am aware most phone owners are incredibly rude to everyone around them by
uploading your exact GPS location & unique AP BSSID to Google, but are all
the PC's around you also just as rudely giving your location to Microsoft?

*Microsoft supposedly _stopped_ doing that, didn't they?*

So why then, does Microsoft _still maintain_ that optout location database?

[Paul]

Post by Wally J
If Microsoft truly stopped using the SSID "_optout_" directive in the 2016
anniversary addition of Windows10, then why then do they maintain this?
<https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/location-services-opt-out>
That site was kindly confirmed by Andy Burns in the Android newsgroup
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/wc35HXj1zDE/m/fo4KVBvnAAAJ>
Given 99.9 out of 100 people are not only incredibly ignorant but also
unfathomably rude to everyone around them, I don't want to be one of them.
I am aware most phone owners are incredibly rude to everyone around them by
uploading your exact GPS location & unique AP BSSID to Google, but are all
the PC's around you also just as rudely giving your location to Microsoft?
*Microsoft supposedly _stopped_ doing that, didn't they?*
So why then, does Microsoft _still maintain_ that optout location database?

According to this, they're still doing it.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/learn-more-about-your-location-sharing-privacy-in-microsoft-teams-free-d97a9da3-eded-451c-8008-52f3a0661ba7

Really, unless a company has been convicted in court, and stands
to be held for contempt of court, I doubt there is much reason
to do what they said they would be doing. Google at one time, claiming
they would not be evil. I don't think Microsoft ever took an evil-oath, so...

When Microsoft added News and Interests, the "weather bug" does not
have a control like other applications do, and it is going to attempt
to measure your location, so it can "tell you the weather". And you
will notice, "News and Interests" does not turn off -- only the visual
manifestation is removed. We don't know what is going on when the
visuals are removed.

Paul

[david]

Post by Paul
According to this, they're still doing it.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/learn-more-about-your-location-sharing-privacy-in-microsoft-teams-free-d97a9da3-eded-451c-8008-52f3a0661ba7

You're correct that Google & Mozilla & Microsoft are lying about this.

"We also tested to see if it respects an opt-out mechanism for people who
do not want their home router's data getting scooped up in a broad data
collection: appending "_nomap" to the network's SSID. We combined this with
Microsoft's now defunct opt-out mechanism (for an alternative purpose) of
appending "_optout" to the SSID. We tested each individually and both
orderings of the two by inserting fake scan results, and found that Huq
collected them all."
https://blog.appcensus.io/2021/10/25/what-the-huq/

Mozilla apparently lied when they said they respect the SSID_optout also.
https://location.services.mozilla.com/optout
"Mozilla's client applications do not collect information about WiFi access
points whose SSID is hidden or ends with the string _nomap."
But they lied. See above.

Microsoft is supposed to have stopped using the _optout_ designation.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/05/microsoft-disables-wi-fi-sense-on-windows-10/
"Microsoft has disabled its controversial Wi-Fi Sense feature, a component
embedded in Windows 10 devices that shares access to WiFi networks to which
you connect with any contacts you may have listed in Outlook and Skype -
and, with an opt-in - your Facebook friends."
But they lied also. See above.

They all lied.
https://shirlleycoyle.wordpress.com/2021/10/25/location-data-firm-got-gps-data-from-apps-even-when-people-opted-out/

You can add the SSID_optout_nomap but they won't respect it.
They never had any intent to respect it.

The only thing you can do is not broadcast your home router's AP SSID.

Then the phones won't upload it unless they're set up specifically in the
promiscuious mode which isn't the default except for WiGle or Netstumbler.