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We have some unfavourable news if you use Bing Ads on your website. You might not be aware that Bing is discreetly monitoring your website without your permission using Microsoft Clarity.Are you under surveillance? The likelihood is that Microsoft received all the information on you and your visitors without your knowledge or consent. We will explain why this unethical action is outrageous.

When we first found out Microsoft Clarity scripts were loaded on Howuku website. We were stunned and shocked thinking that the website was hijacked having all the visitor’s information sent to malicious hackers and being spied on. Later It was discovered that it includes the conversion tracking script for Bing Ads. The website was successfully got rid of the Microsoft Clarity after uninstalling the converting script.

Now, it doesn’t make things any better than when the website was hijacked by hostile hackers who intended to steal the data of the visitors. If anything, it made it worse than small-scale hacker activity, which only targets a few hundred machines at a time. In contrast to how a company like Microsoft may quickly infect millions of people by inserting Microsoft Clarity into its users’ webpages and collecting user activity data without specifically asking for permission to do so.

What Is Clarity By Microsoft?

Microsoft announced Microsoft Clarity, a brand-new behaviour analytics solution, in October 2020. It employs a Javascript code snippet that is put to each page of your website and gathers data on how users interact with it, including how long users spend on a page, the activities they do, and the type of device they are using. It was intended to give website owners information on how users use their platforms. However, you are not authorised to view the information from your own website that Microsoft covertly obtained using the Bing Ads script without your permission.

How Terrible Did It Get?

The nature of session recordings is not horrible; it is similar to putting home security cameras so you can know what happens there while you’re not there.However, if it was carried out by a large company with thousands of workers who have access to the CCTV that was secretly installed inside your home. That is just repulsive. Think about having a security firm put a straightforward tracking device on your home’s entrance to keep track of how many individuals enter and exit. On the other hand, they are secretly placing cameras everywhere as well.

For What Purpose They Do It ?

Provided that the user has not given their explicit approval, it is unclear if this technique is lawful.The terms of service for Microsoft Clarity, however, stipulate that the information gathered may be used for “research and development reasons.”It’s probable that Bing Ads is gathering user behaviour information through Microsoft Clarity in order to enhance its advertising offerings.According to the business, the data gathered would aid marketers in making their ads more effective.Despite this, we are not persuaded that installing spyware on a user’s website without their express knowledge is justifiable and think it is quite concerning to do so.

What Data Were Being Collected?

Despite not collecting personally identifying information (PII), Microsoft Clarity does gather information that may be used to personally identify a website visitor.This information also contains the visitor’s IP address, which may be used to infer a generalised location for them. In order to verify a visitor’s identity or keep tabs on their online activities, Clarity also gathers information about the visitor’s device, operating system, and browser. Do you agree that criminal hackers who claim they can’t identify you and merely wish to observe your behaviour can install Remote Access Trojan (RAT) on your computer?

What Can You Do About It?

You have to specifically tell Bing Ads not to track you by submitting a request form through this form. But even if you do opt-out, there’s no guarantee that your data won’t be collected.If you would like to continue using Bing Ads for conversion tracking, I urge you to fill up the form beforehand and only start using Bing Ads after they have approved opting you out.So if you’re concerned about your privacy, you might want to avoid Bing Ads altogether. Or at the very least, be aware that your every move is being tracked.

Is Behavior Recording Always Bad?

As we’ve mentioned previously, the act of documenting conduct is not always bad. Just how, who, and for what ends are they doing it matters.In reality, online behaviour recording may help your business by giving you insight into how customers use your service or website. This might be useful for locating usability problems, learning about new features that consumers demand, or just comprehending how users interact with the product.

Do You Really Need To Use Microsoft Clarity?

The best part of Microsoft Clarity is that it is constantly free. It provides you with useful information on how people interact with your website, and it may be used to enhance user experience by detecting troublesome areas. But Microsoft, the company behind Microsoft Clarity, has a track of of dubious and unethical data manipulation and privacy violations.