Microsoft Outlook Attacks Gmail Over Privacy Concerns

Microsoft has been promoting its revamped Outlook email client in continued attacks on Gmail in its “Scroogled” campaign. With the tagline of “Think Google respects your privacy? Think again,” Microsoft systematically explains how Google looks through emails for keywords which translate into personalized ads. Microsoft attempted a similar takedown last year with a full page ad in newspapers like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, but this time around Microsoft is really pushing its Outlook platform while simultaneously attacking Google, rather than just lashing out at its opponent. But where is the distinction between how Outlook and Gmail tailor their ads? The Wall Street Journal claims that Outlook looks at the subject lines of emails for ad content, while Microsoft claims it doesn’t use email subject lines to target ads at users. Despite how private, or not, Outlook is in relation to Gmail, Microsoft is making privacy a prime selling point, playing on consumer fear that everything they do on the Internet is tracked and recorded.