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Last updated: June 2013

Contents

Privacy supplement for Microsoft Lync Web App

This page is a supplement to the Privacy Statement for Microsoft Lync Products. In order to understand the data collection and use practices relevant for a particular Microsoft Lync product or service, we recommend you read both the Privacy statement for Microsoft Lync products and this supplement.

This privacy supplement addresses the deployment and use of Microsoft Lync Web App communications software deployed within the enterprise whose online meetings you are using Lync Web App to attend. If the enterprise is using Lync Web App as part of an online solution or service (in other words, a third party [for example, Microsoft] is hosting the servers upon which the software runs), information will be transmitted to that third party. To learn more about the use of your data that is transmitted to that third party, please consult the enterprise administrator for the hosting party or the service provider.

Client-Side Logging

What This Feature Does: Client-side logging collects information that the second-level support team can use to determine the cause of an issue. Client-Side Logs are stored locally on the user’s computer.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: When Client-Side Logging is enabled specific usage information will be logged and stored to the location configured by the IT admin of the company whose meeting you are attending. This information can include meeting subjects and locations; session initiation protocol (SIP) messages; responses to Lync invites; information about the sender and receiver of instant messages; the route the message took; the users Contacts list and presence information; the names of any applications, attachments, Microsoft PowerPoint files, whiteboards, or polls they shared to include any poll questions that were shared and an index of how they voted are all logged in the client-side logs. The contents of Lync conversations are not stored (instant messages, PowerPoint decks, whiteboard contents, notes, poll details, etc.) in the client-side logs. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: The information collected in the client-side logs can be used by the user’s customer support or can be sent to Microsoft to troubleshoot Lync issues.

Choice/Control: Client-Side Logging is off by default. The enterprise administrator can enable or disable this feature for their enterprise. Client-side Logging can be enabled using the following steps:

  1. In the upper-right corner of the Lync main window, click Options (gear icon).

  2. Select Tools, Click Options.

  3. On the Options dialog, click General.

  4. Under Logging, check or uncheck Turn on logging.

  5. Click OK.

Cookies

What This Feature Does: Lync Web App uses “cookies,” which are small text files that can be read by a web server in the domain that put the cookies on your hard drive. We may use cookies to store your user preferences and settings; help with sign-in; and to maintain server connectivity and resource affinity.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Lync Web App does not use cookies or web beacons for targeted advertising nor do we use them to collect your personal information. All cookies are session cookies.

Choice/Control:

Browser Controls to Block Cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to block cookies. For example, in Internet Explorer 9, you may block cookies by taking the following steps:

  1. Click Tools and then select Internet Options.

  2. Click the Privacy tab at the top of the window.

  3. Move the slider up or down to select the types of cookies you wish to block.

Instructions for blocking cookies in other browsers are available at http://www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies.

Please be aware that if you choose to block cookies, you may not be able to sign in or use other interactive features of Microsoft sites and services that depend on cookies, and some advertising preferences that are dependent on cookies may not be able to be respected.

Browser Controls to Delete Cookies. If you accept cookies, you can delete them later. For example, in Internet Explorer 9, you may delete cookies by taking the following steps:

  1. Click Tools and then select Internet Options.

  2. On the General tab, under Browsing History, click the Delete button.

  3. On the pop-up, select the box next to Cookies.

  4. Click the Delete button.

Instructions for deleting cookies in other browsers are available at http://www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies.

Please be aware that if you choose to delete cookies, any settings and preferences controlled by those cookies, including advertising preferences, will be deleted and may need to be recreated.

Customer Experience Improvement Program

What This Feature Does: If you choose to participate, the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) collects basic information about how you use Lync Web App as well as your computer’s audio and video devices. These reports are sent to Microsoft to help improve the features our customers use most often and to create solutions to common problems. CEIP also collects the type and number of errors you encounter, software and hardware performance, and the speed of services. Microsoft does not collect your name, address, or other contact information.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: CEIP information is automatically sent to Microsoft when the feature is turned on. For more information about the Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted by CEIP, see the Privacy Statement for the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.

Use of Information: Microsoft uses this information to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft software and services.

Choice/Control: CEIP is off by default. The enterprise administrator can enable or disable CEIP for their organization.

Note:  If the administrator changes the setting to enable or disable CEIP while the user is already using Lync, the new setting will take effect only after the user exits Lync and signs back in.

Desktop & Application Sharing

What This Feature Does: Desktop & Application Sharing allows users to collaborate over video chat while also sharing their desktop or selected application with everyone in the meeting enabling them to share and edit files as if they were in the same room as their colleagues. When a user initially shares their desktop or an application, they are the only one in control. If the user chooses, he or she can allow other users to take control of their shared desktop or application, navigate, and make changes using their own mouse and keyboard (see the Desktop & Application Sharing Control section). Desktop & Application Sharing in Lync Web App is possible only if you install the Lync Web App plug-in. Users can install the plugin while joining the meeting or the first time the user attempts to initiate Desktop & Application Sharing, they will be prompted to install the plug-in.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: If sharing is initiated, depending on what is being shared, all conversation participants will be able to see the monitor(s), entire desktop, or selected application on their computer’s screen. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: You can use Desktop & Application Sharing to collaborate with conversation and meeting participants.

Choice/Control:

To start Desktop & Application Sharing (from within a conversation or meeting):

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Share icon.

  2. In the pop-up menu, select Desktop, or Program.

  3. If you are sharing your desktop, in the Share Desktop dialog, select the monitor you wish to share.

- Or -

  1. If you are sharing a program, in the Share Programs dialog, select the program(s) you wish to share.

  2. Click Share.

To stop sharing your Desktop or Application

  • Select Stop Sharing from the sharing bar at the top of the content area in the conversation window.

    Important: 

    • Documents or pictures that are open on your desktop that are protected by Digital Rights Management software may be visible to others with whom you share your desktop in a Lync Web App conversation.

    • Certain applications, such as Visio, Excel, and Notepad, cannot be shared on a per-window basis. This means that if you have multiple windows of the application open, Lync Web App will share all open (non-minimized) windows. Lync Web App will display a sharing border around all shared windows to indicate that they are being shared.

    • In Windows 8, although the sharing bar may not display, if the user moves out of the desktop mode, parts of the screen that overlap with the application shared originally may continue to be presented.

Desktop & Application Sharing Control

What This Feature Does: Desktop & Application Sharing Control allows users to grant control of their shared desktop or application to another meeting participant that is also using Lync or Lync Web App on another computer.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Once control is granted, that person can control the shared desktop or application and make changes as if he or she were using the shared computer directly with their keyboard and mouse. The user sharing their desktop or application and the other participants in the Lync conversation or meeting will be able to view these changes as they happen. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: Desktop & Application Sharing Control allows conversation or meeting participant to take control of the shared desktop or application, while you and other conversation participants observe.

Choice/Control:

To share control of your Desktop or Application (if you are not already sharing see Desktop & Application Sharing):

  1. Click Give Control at the top of the screen.

  2. Choose who you want to give control to.

To revoke control of your desktop from a remote party, do the following:

  1. Click Give Control at the top of the screen.

  2. Click Take Back Control.

In-Meeting (Multi Party) Instant Messaging

What This Feature Does: The In-Meeting Instant Messaging feature allows you to send and receive instant messages to the participants in a Lync Web App meeting. Messages sent are broadcasted to all participants

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Instant messages sent by any participant are transmitted along with the sender’s name and timestamp, to all conversation participants (except those joining by telephone) who have joined the conversation. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: You can use IM to collaborate with other meeting participants by, among other things, sharing written text such as a web address, draft language for a document, and so on.

Choice/Control: To enable the In-Meeting (Multi-Party) Instant Messaging feature, the user must click the IM button in the conversation window.

Important:  Participants using Lync desktop application may have the IM conversation transcript auto-saved on their computer. Also other Lync Web App users may be able to select and copy the IM conversation transcript from their Lync Web App webpage into another application.

Meeting Attachments

What This Feature Does: Meeting Attachment allows meeting organizers to upload and share files with meeting participants either by displaying them in the meeting or for download later.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Meeting attachments are uploaded by the meeting organizer and are stored on the Lync Server. The length of time attachments will persist on the server is configurable by the enterprise administrator. They are available for download by the meeting organizer and participants until the meeting organizer deletes them or the administrator configured retention period ends. At that time, the meeting attachment will be deleted. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: Uploaded meeting attachments are shared with and can be downloaded by meeting participants. Availability of attachments can be restricted to particular meeting participants’ roles (organizer, presenters, everyone). If an attachment has been restricted from access to a particular role, it will not be visible in their attachments list.

Choice/Control:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Share icon.

  2. Select the Attachments tab.

  3. Click Add Attachment.

  4. In the Select the file you want dialog, browse to the attachment to add, select the file.

  5. Click Open.

Meeting owners can restrict availability for download according to participant role (organizer, presenters, everyone) by doing the following:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Share icon.

  2. Under the Attachments tab, click Manage Attachments.

  3. From the Attachments dialog, under Permissions, select the option you want from the drop-down list.

  4. Click OK.

Note:  If an attachment is restricted from certain roles, the attachment will not be visible in their content list and they cannot save it to their computer.

Meeting Dial-out

What This Feature Does: Meeting Dial-out allows Lync users who are present in a meeting to add a public switched telephone network (PSTN) number to an existing audio video (AV) conversation or meeting. A PSTN user can be added by calling the PSTN number from the Lync dial pad. When the PSTN user will be added when they answer the call.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: The PSTN user will see the caller ID of either the meeting organizer or the meeting participant when they receive the call inviting them into the meeting.

Use of Information: The caller ID is used to identify the caller to the person receiving the call.

Choice/Control: There is no user or enterprise administrator control for this feature.

Microsoft Lync Web App Plug-in

What This Feature Does: The Lync Web App Plug-in makes it possible for Lync Web App users to receive the audio and video shared by other meeting participants as well as share their audio and video using their video camera, speakers, and microphone.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: With the plug-in installed, when the Lync Web app user shares their voice and video within the meeting, other meeting participants will be able to see and hear whatever the Lync Web App user’s video camera and microphone captures. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Notes: 

  • Installation of the Lync Web App Plug-in, though highly recommended, is optional however; audio and video in Lync Web App is not possible without it.

  • If the user does not have a video device attached to their computer, they will be able to view video of other users in the meeting.

Use of Information: The Lync Web App user’s voice and video is used to enhance the Lync meeting experience by providing a richer communication experience.

Choice/Control: When joining an online meeting the Lync Web App user’s video is not shared and their microphone is muted by default. Additionally, the Lync Web App user will automatically receive any audio and video currently shared by other meeting participants.

If the user is attempting to join a meeting using Lync Web App for the first time, they will be prompted to install the plug-in.

To mute or unmute outgoing audio:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Audio icon.

  2. Under the Devices dialog, click Mute.

To mute or unmute incoming audio:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Audio icon.

  2. Under the Devices dialog, click on the Speaker button.

To start outgoing video:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Video icon.

  2. Under the Video dialog, click Start My Video.

To stop or pause outgoing video:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Video icon.

  2. Under the Video dialog, click Pause Video or End Video.

To uninstall the Lync Web App Plug-in:

  1. From the Control Panel, Click Programs.

  2. Click Uninstall a Program.

  3. Search for Microsoft Lync Web App Plug-in.

  4. Right click on Microsoft Lync Web App Plug-in, select Uninstall.

Note:  Lync Web App shares computer audio and video devices with other audio or video applications that might use them, including other Lync Web App meetings that may be running simultaneously. Therefore, users must manually hold the call from an ongoing Lync Web App meeting session before attempting to use the audio or video devices in other applications running simultaneously.

OneNote Integration

What This Feature Does: Lync Web App users can view and contribute to OneNote notebooks shared by meeting participants using a Lync 2010 or newer client.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: When a meeting participant using a Lync 2010 or newer client shares a Microsoft OneNote notebook, Lync Web App users can view and contribute to the OneNote notebook. All content inserted into the notebook by the Lync Web App user will be visible and available to all meeting participants.

Use of Information: This feature allows Lync Web App users to view and participate in OneNote collaboration.

  1. From the Conversation Window, hover over the Share icon.

  2. From the Present tab, click ONENOTE.

  3. Select the OneNote notebook to open.

Note:  Meeting owners can restrict availability according to participant role (organizer, presenters, everyone). If a OneNote notebook is restricted from certain roles, the notebook will not be visible in their content list so they will not be able to open or save it to their computer.

Polling

What This Feature Does: Polling allows the meeting organizer to quickly gather information or compile the preference of meeting and conversation participants. This information can also be saved and later analyzed after the meeting.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Individual votes are anonymous. Aggregated poll results are seen by all presenters and can be shown to all attendees by any presenter. Polls are stored on Lync Server according to meeting content expiration policies, as defined by the enterprise administrator. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: The Polling feature enhances collaboration by enabling presenters to quickly determine participant preferences.

Choice/Control:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Share icon to open the menu.

  2. From the Present tab, click Poll.

  3. In the Create A Poll dialog, enter the Poll Name, the Question(s), and the Choices.

  4. Click Ok.

Note:  From within the Poll, presenters can restrict Poll availability according to participant role (organizer, presenters, everyone). If a poll made unavailable to someone, it cannot be seen in their content list when it is not currently being shared, and the poll cannot be saved to their local computer. In addition, Presenters can open or close a poll for voting and clear poll results at any time.

PowerPoint Collaboration

What This Feature Does: PowerPoint Collaboration allows users to show, view, and annotate PowerPoint presentations during an online conversation or meeting.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: End user actions drive all uses of this feature—whether they are uploading, navigating through, or annotating a PowerPoint presentation. Any file presented in a conversation or meeting will be transmitted to all meeting participants, and they will be able to retrieve it directly from a folder on their computers. The file owner or presenter can restrict others from saving the file, but this does not restrict them from retrieving or seeing it. PowerPoint files are stored on Lync Server according to the meeting content expiration policies defined by the enterprise administrator. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: Collaborating with PowerPoint helps conversation participants deliver effective presentations and receive feedback.

Choice/Control:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Share icon to open the menu.

  2. From the Present tab, click PowerPoint.

  3. Browse to the PowerPoint presentation to add, select the file.

  4. Click Open.

Presenters can restrict annotation privileges according to participant role (presenters only, everyone, and none) by doing the following:

  1. Hover over View participants.

  2. Click More Options (…).

  3. Click Online Meeting Options.

  4. From the Online Meeting Options dialog, under Who can use annotation?, select the option you want from the drop-down list.

  5. Click OK.

Presenters can restrict participants from viewing slides on their own according to participant role (presenters only, everyone, and none) by doing the following:

  1. Hover over View participants.

  2. Click More Options (…).

  3. Click Online Meeting Options.

  4. From the Online Meeting Options dialog, under Who can look at content on their own, select the option you want from the drop-down list.

  5. Click OK.

Presenters can restrict availability for download according to participant role (organizer, presenters, everyone) by doing the following:

  1. Hover over the Share icon.

  2. Click Manage Presentable Content.

  3. From the Manage Presentable Content dialog, under Permissions, select the option you want from the drop-down list.

  4. Click OK.

Note:  If a PowerPoint presentation is restricted from certain roles, the presentation will not be visible in their content list and cannot save it to their computer.

Quality of Experience (QoE) Data Collection and Reporting

What This Feature Does: Quality of Experience (QoE) Data Collection and Reporting collects and reports media quality of peer-to-peer communications and meetings using Lync Web App. These statistics include IP addresses, loss rate, devices used, poor quality events that occurred in the call, and so on.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: If the enterprise administrator enables QoE, media quality data of peer-to-peer communications Lync and meetings are recorded in the QoE database. This capability does not record the content of the Lync. The QoE data is stored in the Monitoring Server backend database deployed in the enterprise and reported in a set of standard Monitoring Server reports. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: The enterprise administrator has access to this information and can use it to collect feedback on the quality of media that is flowing in the system. This includes user IP addresses.

Choice/Control: QoE is turned on by default, but the enterprise administrator must install a Monitoring Server, connected to a Monitoring Server backend database, to collect the QoE data. The enterprise administrator can deploy the standard Monitoring Server reports or create custom reports querying the Monitoring Server database.

Recording

What This Feature Does: Recording allows meeting participants to capture any audio, video, instant messaging (IM), application sharing, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, whiteboard, and polling that occurs during a meeting for archiving or playback.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: If meeting participants choose to record a session, the recording will be saved locally on their computer. If participants share content during a meeting that is being recorded, that content will be included in the meeting recording. When a participant starts recording, a notification that a recording has started will broadcast to all participants with compatible clients and devices. Participants in a recorded session who are using incompatible clients or devices will be recorded but will not receive the recording notice. A list of incompatible clients and devices can be found below. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Incompatible clients include:

  • Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2

  • Microsoft Office Communicator 2007

  • Microsoft Office Communicator Web Access (2007 R2 release)

  • Microsoft Office Communicator Web Access (2007 release)

  • Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Attendant

Incompatible devices include:

  • Microsoft Lync 2010 Phone Edition

  • Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 Phone Edition

  • Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 Phone Edition

Note:  Regardless of the device or used, a participant using video in a full-screen mode during a meeting or conversation will not be signaled that a recording has started until he or she returns to the conversation window.

Use of Information: The recording is saved locally on the user’s machine and may be used or shared by the owner just as they would share any other file type. If there are failures during a recording's publishing phase, it is possible for data captured during a paused recording state to be unintentionally included in the recording. If any part of the publishing phase fails (See Recording Manager for a "Warning..." status), recordings should not be distributed to others even if they can be played back in some form.

Choice/Control: Users do not have the ability to record meetings from Lync Web App however; if another meeting participant is recording the meeting from their desktop client a red recording indicator is displayed in the UI.

Whiteboard Collaboration

What This Feature Does: Whiteboard Collaboration allows users to create and share a virtual whiteboard where session participants can make notes, drawings, and import images to work on together during meetings and conversations.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Annotations made on whiteboards will be seen by all participants. When saving a whiteboard the whiteboard and all annotations will be stored on the Lync Server. It will be retained on the server according to meeting content expiration policies set by the administrator. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: The Whiteboard feature enhances collaboration by enabling meeting participants to discuss ideas, brainstorm, take notes, and so on.

Choice/Control:

  1. From the conversation window, hover over the Share icon.

  2. From the Present tab, click Whiteboard.

Meeting owners can restrict availability for download according to participant role (organizer, presenters, everyone) by doing the following:

  1. Hover over the Share icon.

  2. Under the Present tab, click Manage Presentable Content.

  3. From the Meeting Content dialog, under Permissions, select the option you want from the drop-down list.

  4. Click OK.

If a Whiteboard is restricted from certain roles, the whiteboard will not be visible in their content list and they cannot save it to their computer.

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