Microsoft's Global Device Identifier (GDID) Exposed in US Court Documents
A US federal court case has revealed Microsoft's Global Device Identifier (GDID), a unique 64-bit ID assigned to Windows installations registering with a Microsoft Account. The GDID is used for telemetry and is stored in the registry, but its existence was previously disputed. The case has sparked concerns about user privacy and data collection.
Key points
- Microsoft's Global Device Identifier (GDID) is a 64-bit ID assigned to Windows installations registering with a Microsoft Account, used for telemetry purposes.
- The GDID is stored in the registry and is generated by the Connected Devices Platform (CDP) when a device registers with login.live.com.
- A US federal court case, United States v. Peter Stokes, has revealed the GDID's existence, contradicting previous claims that it was 128-bit or generated from hardware serial numbers.
- The GDID is reported by Delivery Optimization as the UCDOStatus.GlobalDeviceId, and can be found in the registry with a single read.
- The revelation has sparked concerns about user privacy and data collection, with some analysts warning of potential implications for Microsoft's business practices.
Microsoft's Global Device Identifier Exposed in US Court Documents
A recent US federal court case has shed light on Microsoft's Global Device Identifier (GDID), a unique 64-bit ID assigned to Windows installations registering with a Microsoft Account. The GDID has been used for telemetry purposes, but its existence was previously disputed.
According to court documents, the GDID is generated by the Connected Devices Platform (CDP) when a device registers with login.live.com. It is then stored in the registry and reported by Delivery Optimization as the UCDOStatus.GlobalDeviceId.
The revelation has sparked concerns about user privacy and data collection, with some analysts warning of potential implications for Microsoft's business practices. The case, United States v. Peter Stokes, has brought attention to the GDID's existence and its potential use in Microsoft's data collection efforts.
What is the GDID?
The GDID is a 64-bit ID assigned to Windows installations registering with a Microsoft Account. It is used for telemetry purposes and is stored in the registry. The GDID is generated by the CDP when a device registers with login.live.com and is reported by Delivery Optimization as the UCDOStatus.GlobalDeviceId.
Concerns about user privacy
The revelation of the GDID's existence has sparked concerns about user privacy and data collection. Some analysts have warned of potential implications for Microsoft's business practices, citing the company's use of the GDID for telemetry purposes.
Implications for Microsoft
The case has brought attention to Microsoft's data collection practices and has raised questions about the company's commitment to user privacy. The GDID's existence has sparked concerns about the potential for Microsoft to use the data for targeted advertising or other purposes.
Conclusion
The revelation of the GDID's existence has sparked concerns about user privacy and data collection. The case has brought attention to Microsoft's data collection practices and has raised questions about the company's commitment to user privacy.
Sources
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