December 16, 2022
Microsoft will not allow its customers to mine cryptocurrencies on its online services without prior written permission, according to an Acceptable Use Policy update that went into effect on December 1.
The new restrictions were introduced as part of Microsoft Online Services’ universal licence terms, which state that “mining cryptocurrency is prohibited without prior Microsoft approval.”
The document notes that “the Acceptable Use Policy has been updated to explicitly prohibit mining for cryptocurrencies across all Microsoft Online Services unless Microsoft grants written pre-approval.” It does, however, leave a caveat: “We suggest seeking written pre-approval from Microsoft before using Microsoft Online Services for mining cryptocurrencies, regardless of the term of a subscription.”
The company provided few details about the ban. However, Microsoft stated in an update to Azure, its cloud platform, that crypto mining is prohibited in all online services as part of actions required to “secure the partner ecosystem.”
It added that it now requires users to obtain a written pre-approval from the company in order to use any of Microsoft Online Services for crypto mining. Furthermore, its most recent crypto mining restrictions aim to protect online services from threats such as cyber fraud, attacks, and unauthorised access to customer resources.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechSpot.
