LRMAO
Coming from a gmail user...
Yes, and very satisfied with their service (not happy with the line wraps though and plain text formatting), very convenient to receive messages from e-mail lists and a more efficient way to deal with spam and other nuisances. I've to admit that actually MSFT online privacy notice (which it is not clear if it's equal to their privacy "policy") includes the statement you mentioned in your message, but you forgot to include the rest ...
From http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/default.mspx : (short version, if you want all the yada yada you need to click on "Additional Details")
Personal Information - When you register for certain Microsoft services, we will ask you to provide personal information. - The information we collect may be combined with information obtained from other Microsoft services and other companies. - We use cookies and other technologies to keep track of your interactions with our sites and services to offer a personalized experience. Uses of Information -We use the information we collect to provide the services you request. Our services may include the display of personalized content and advertising. - We use your information to inform you of other products or services offered by Microsoft and its affiliates, and to send you relevant survey invitations related to Microsoft services. - We do not sell, rent, or lease our customer lists to third parties. In order to help provide our services, we occasionally provide information to other companies that work on our behalf. And then there is another section that is related to "Your Choices", but nowhere (and I'm not saying that others provide this option either) says you opt to keep all the information Microsoft collects about you private and not shared with affiliates (very vague term) or other companies working on their behalf (ie the telemarketers bothering you at home in the middle of your favorite football game to sell something you don't need). Every single provider that collects information about you tries to find the way to monetize it and make some extra bucks. Cheers Jorge