Exactly. I don’t get how this is any better than what Google does. Google doesn’t sell your data either. They themselves consume your data, and use it to push ads in your face and track you across the web.

In other words, collecting insane amounts of data is also bad. Not just the selling of it.

In fact, personally (just my opinion) I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft sold my data - extra cash for them. Google's main business is ads though - they WANT that data, and I wouldn't say they'd sell it.

I wouldn’t be surprised, but I’d also need some reasonably strong evidence to believe it.

Their ad revenue is marginal and mostly limited to bing. if they use the data that's to tailor the product and sell more of it. On the other hand Google sells your profile to advertisers. Albeit, not you in particular, still leveraging what they know about you to put someone's commercial in front of you.

Ms sells to you, google sells you. I get a difference.