Woman sues Microsoft over mobile location tracking

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is being sued by a Michigan woman who alleges the world's largest software maker illegally tracks people whose mobile devices run its Windows Phone 7 operating software. The lawsuit was filed last Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle by Rebecca Cousineau, whose Michigan hometown wasn't given. Cousineau notes that Microsoft tells users they can turn off location tracking, which is a feature in the camera application on phones running Windows Phone 7. But she claims the software keeps tracking users' locations even after they turn off the feature. The suit seeks class action status. Cousineau is seeking an order stopping Microsoft from gathering location data after users opt out of doing so, and unspecified damages. A spokeswoman for Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft declined a request for comment. Published: Mon, Sep 5, 2011