Google Inc (GOOG): The Right to Be Forgotten

Facebook shares are up 6% year-to-date, and down 25% since its May 2012 IPO.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

When considering companies that may know too much about you, most people forget about Microsoft. Via the Windows operating system and the Internet Explorer web browser, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) collects a wide variety of consumer information, including which applications are used, how the applications are being used, what programs are downloaded and installed, what hardware a computer has, what a user does on the internet, and frequently where a consumer is located.

Microsoft uses this information to detect errors in its software and to create updates and new features based off of the user’s experience. Out of the companies mentioned in this article, Microsoft has the longest history of collecting data on its users – dating back to before Windows 95 and the original Internet Explorer web browser were launched.

Additionally, Microsoft is diving deeper into the “business of knowing” with its launch of Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the Surface tablet. With its vision of a future of one compatible operating system across all devices, Microsoft is posed to collect more user information than ever before. Competitors would certainly be excited to have the opportunity to possess this data when they win over a new customer.

Microsoft shares are up 5% year-to-date, and down 10% over the past 12 months.

In Summary

Consumers and governments around the world are paying more and more attention to how businesses collect and store data, what they do with the data, and what rights the individual has over data collected about them. Right now, companies have almost all of the power in this relationship, leaving many consumers and governments frustrated with the lack of transparency and control. In the coming years, many laws will be proposed to strike a harmonious balance between the companies that collect this data and the users that provide it. These laws could have serious implications for the companies mentioned in this article.

As always, this is by no means an endorsement of any stock or advice to buy or sell any stock. My goal is simply to educate, amuse, and enrich. Good luck to all of you! And thanks for reading.

The article The Right to Be Forgotten originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Nathan Bradham.

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