I have a Hotmail account I have been using for several years.

Today when I successfully logged in it wanted me to verify my secondary email in case I forgot my password. The only secondary email I had is my closed Cox.net email address. When I said I did not have an alternative address, it wanted me to provide my phone number to change it. It also gave me several days to provide it or else I guess they will close my account.

Well, NO Microsoft! I am not going to provide any more personal information except a new alternative email which you should allow me to do directly from within my Outlook email. I am especially not going to provide that information over the Internet - PERIOD!

My additional personal details, address, phone or other contact information is no one's business, not Hackers, not Spammers, not any Government, domestic or foreign, and not Microsoft because someone there could not think of a more intelligent, user friendly method to update an alternative email.

Does the Community agree or disagree with Microsoft's policies? Should someone with a several year old Hotmail account lose their account if they don't give up additional private information?

It should be noted that this board DOES HAVE my new alternative address so I receive notifications from this board.