Microsoft censors Windows Live users. Gives free speech a treatment that would make any tyrant dictator proud.

Ballmer still wants to “fucking kill Google”, but first, Bittorrent.

You’ll have to wait until May to see Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie, The Dictator, but in the mean time, Sweaty Ballmer wants to show us how being a petty tyrant is done.

Torrent Freak reports that Microsoft is censoring Windows Live Messenger users.

When the user enters a link and it’s to a site that Microsoft doesn’t like, Microsoft’s new approach is to block it at their server and report back to the user that the site is “dangerous”.

So far they seem to do it with The Pirate Bay, which probably hosts and serves less malware and spyware than Microsoft itself (source source source) or sites that aren’t being blocked by them, such as CNET Download.com which delivers crapware bundles with legitimate software.

Since the censorship of links is done at the server level, it means that (not shockingly), Microsoft is monitoring, logging, and spying on everything you say or do while connected to their chat service. It also means that users of alternative messenger software which doesn’t come bundled with the ability to display malicious advertisements like Microsoft’s official client does will not escape the Microsoft server spying on them and kicking back any links that Microsoft doesn’t like. If Microsoft can’t keep their own software and websites from installing malicious software onto Windows PCs, they shouldn’t be blocking anyone else under that excuse.

Microsoft’s official terms of use for their spyware instant messaging network clearly forbid the user from taking any measures to protect themselves from Microsoft’s built-in advertising, which ranges from merely obnoxious, to becoming hijacked to serve malware, either by applying binary patching to their official software, adding “127.0.0.1 rad.msn.com” to their hosts file, using Privoxy as their system-wide ad filtering local proxy server, or using free and open source software such as Pidgin (which runs on many platforms) or Telepathy (which now has front ends for GNOME and KDE, and what I personally use with the Jabber instant messaging service).

The penalty for being caught doing any of this is the worst kind of censorship that Microsoft can impose on their users, total account deletion. Some choice excerpts from the EULA for Microsoft’s instant messaging service.

” In particular, we may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications”

“We may cancel or suspend your service and your access to the Windows Live ID network at any time without notice and for any reason.”

In addition, the terms point to a separate obnoxious Code of Conduct with such gems as:

“You will not use any form of automated device or computer program that enables the submission of postings without the express written consent of Microsoft Corporation.”

Among other things, you agree that you won’t post links on how to bypass the security of computer software or break DRM, piracy, “pornography” (which even the Supreme Court has been unable to define, but thank god we have Microsoft as the arbiter of all things wholesome), and of course you are responsible for anything that malicious Windows software decides to do once it has taken over your computer and starts spamming all your friends. (which is bound to happen sooner or later considering you’re using Windows).

Of course, Microsoft includes the clause that lets them delete your account for no reason at all, so really anything you do can (at their whim) be grounds for suspending or deleting your account.

Bottom line: Microsoft is malicious and abusive and anyone who bothers to read their burdensome, obnoxious, and dangerously open-ended and one-sided policies and licensing agreements would have already known this.

If anything, this should serve as another wake up call to ditch Microsoft and their abusive policies and a reminder that if you think Microsoft can be trusted, you’re living in a dream world.