Windows 10 is outright spyware

[2984839]

Take a look at these links.

http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/31/9075531/windows-10-privacy-how-to

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2015/07/29/wind-nos/

This is absolutely outrageous. I will not allow Windows 10 on my network based on principle alone.

 

[akimoriRyuuji]

Meh doesn't sound like that big of a deal to me.

 

[Traverse]

Just disable the "Send to Microsoft" features. I did it during the installation setup. If you're really scared about privacy, you need to have a computer that permanently remands disconnected. Data is always flowing to internet companies every time you access the Internet.

 

[skaertus]

Why do some people in this forum always try to attack Microsoft and Windows in some way? Can't they just accept that Microsoft made a decent product, and that that Apple does not have the monopoly of quality?

 

[Shirasaki]

Why do some people in this forum always try to attack Microsoft and Windows in some way? Can't they just accept that Microsoft made a decent product, and that that Apple does not have the monopoly of quality?

Maybe because apple states privacy protection much more than Microsoft does. And that is the reason.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

LMAO. So is all cloud computing, cloud syncing, Dropbox, email, cookies.

 

[throAU]

Why do some people in this forum always try to attack Microsoft and Windows in some way? Can't they just accept that Microsoft made a decent product, and that that Apple does not have the monopoly of quality?

It isn't just people here attacking it.

People all over including PC sites have attacked it because the privacy problems are unacceptable.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

It isn't just people here attacking it.

People all over including PC sites have attacked it because the privacy problems are unacceptable.

If you live in a village your neighbours know more about you than Microsoft ever will. Nearly all that data is anonymised unless you are a committed cyber criminal. I have a cousin who works in the police for cyber forensics. They can only request the identity of a suspect after a crime has been committed or someone has been charged with a crime so they can build up a history of evidence. Only when that legal request has been made then some, but not all, of that anonymised data can be given an identity.

 

[throAU]

If you live in a village your neighbours know more about you than Microsoft ever will. Nearly all that data is anonymised unless you are a committed cyber criminal.

That doesn't make it ok at all.

The options are obfuscated as to what they ACTUALLY collect from you. And you are relying on Microsofts judgement as to who "trusted partners" are with regards to where this information goes.

The fact that the EULA is 45 pages long should be a massive red flag.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

That doesn't make it ok at all.

The options are obfuscated as to what they ACTUALLY collect from you. And you are relying on Microsofts judgement as to who "trusted partners" are with regards to where this information goes.

The fact that the EULA is 45 pages long should be a massive red flag.

I'm not worried about it at all. I'm not stupid enough to believe an Orwellian oppressive society has any economic benefits to anyone.

 

[ActionableMango]

Why do some people in this forum always try to attack Microsoft and Windows in some way? Can't they just accept that Microsoft made a decent product, and that that Apple does not have the monopoly of quality?

I don't care who is doing it. My OS shouldn't be accessing "private files in private folders" and sending that info home by default.

And for every person who opts out, there are 10,000 who don't even know how to opt out.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

I don't care who is doing it. My OS shouldn't be accessing "private files in private folders" and sending that info home by default.

MS, Apple, etc are not accessing private files in private folders by default unless you have turned on cloud syncing and save your files in the synced folders.

 

[Shirasaki]

It isn't just people here attacking it.

People all over including PC sites have attacked it because the privacy problems are unacceptable.

So for apple they should also turn them all off by default, and even don't ask for apple id registration when setting up iOS devices.

 

[throAU]

MS, Apple, etc are not accessing private files in private folders by default unless you have turned on cloud syncing and save your files in the synced folders.

Who holds the keys? This is not clear, and yes I have actually contacted microsoft directly to attempt to verify this before deciding to roll win10 to our enterprise.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Who holds the keys? This is not clear, and yes I have actually contacted microsoft directly to attempt to verify this before deciding to roll win10 to our enterprise.

If you are using OneDrive features there are all the white papers online

https://blogs.office.com/2015/01/30/data-encryption-works-onedrive-business-sharepoint-online/

Outside of cloud syncing none of these companies have access to private files and folders.

 

[maflynn]

Meh, I think the OP is doing mental gymnastics on trying to reach the conclusion that Windows 10 is spyware. Btw, Win 8.1 had similar settings, and I think every app now a days phones home for one reason or another. With win10, you can easily disable them if you wish.

 

[2984839]

Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with Apple vs Microsoft vs Google.

It's the fact that the general public is unaware of what is happening and is blindly allowing companies and governments to grab more ground than ever before and normalize invasions of privacy. Defaults are accepted by 99% of users. Microsoft knows this very well. The defaults are absolutely unacceptable. Whether the objectionable stuff can be disabled or not is inconsequential. I'm not content with fixing just my system so that I'm happy while people like my mother are totally unaware of what is going on behind their backs to their data.

This is not comparable to online tracking in any way. If I don't want to use Google, I can use something else. If I don't like Facebook, I can choose not to use it. If I don't like tracking cookies, I can block them. But if I want to use Windows 10 at all, I have to allow Microsoft free reign to my machine to access whenever they want--that's literally what the privacy policy says. The general public is usually aware that there is tracking online, but the idea of stuff you do on your own computer being observed, sent to Microsoft, analyzed, and sold is not something most people are aware of.

Most people don't have the capacity to make an informed decision about this and Microsoft knows that. The exploitation of ignorance is distasteful at best and utterly reprehensible at worst. I consider it a responsibility for people who understand this stuff to inform the people who don't about what is actually happening. If they still want to proceed, that's perfectly fine. We make tradeoffs all the time. It should at least be an informed one.

I put my money where my mouth is. I don't use OS X or Windows because I do not accept the privacy policies. I don't use Ubuntu out of principle because they are doing objectionable things that harm privacy. My Android phone is rooted and running a custom ROM with as much stuff removed as possible to curb tracking. I block scripts and cookies in my browser and only use cloud storage for data I encrypt locally first. I don't use a consumer off the shelf router because I have no control over it. I'm not telling you that you should do any of these things; use whatever you want. I'm not a brand evangelist. But for me personally, I'm going to have no part in normalizing this behavior from companies and I am not going to click accept on an entirely unacceptable privacy policy.

 

[Toltepeceno]

Meh, I think the OP is doing mental gymnastics on trying to reach the conclusion that Windows 10 is spyware.

Bingo.

 

[AFEPPL]

All seems pretty normal things to me, i see no big issues at all.
Nothing an ape or above couldn't sort out in 30secs.

 

[throAU]

All seems pretty normal things to me, i see no big issues at all.
Nothing an ape or above couldn't sort out in 30secs.

Again, not the point. it is all enabled by default unless you manually turn it off, and the wording is not entirely straightforward and up front with regards to what the data is used for and who can access it. All that is buried in the 45 page EULA is "trusted partners", who could be anyone from Microsoft to the NSA to some company that bought or hacked a company who microsoft have an ad partnership with.

The big problem here is that few people understand just how much can be discovered about a person (if the info is disclosed from the large central repository which is a prime target for attack - or used maliciously by a "trusted partner") from the metadata in their content and their habits without even needing access to their actual data.

And once the info is discovered it can be used for identity theft.

And recovery from that is pretty damn hard. Microsoft's liability for any of this? Zero. You're giving microsoft (and others, like google) all your potentially damaging personal data for nothing.

Apple too, though apple is not quite as bad in a lot of cases due to the explicit assurances regarding the encryption, where the keys are held, etc. Though you shouldn't be blindly trusting apple with this stuff either.

 

[Renzatic]

 

[AFEPPL]

Again, not the point. it is all enabled by default unless you manually turn it off, and the wording is not entirely straightforward and up front with regards to what the data is used for and who can access it. All that is buried in the 45 page EULA is "trusted partners", who could be anyone from Microsoft to the NSA to some company that bought or hacked a company who microsoft have an ad partnership with.

The big problem here is that few people understand just how much can be discovered about a person (if the info is disclosed from the large central repository which is a prime target for attack - or used maliciously by a "trusted partner") from the metadata in their content and their habits without even needing access to their actual data.

And once the info is discovered it can be used for identity theft.

And recovery from that is pretty damn hard. Microsoft's liability for any of this? Zero. You're giving microsoft (and others, like google) all your potentially damaging personal data for nothing.

Apple too, though apple is not quite as bad in a lot of cases due to the explicit assurances regarding the encryption, where the keys are held, etc. Though you shouldn't be blindly trusting apple with this stuff either.

What in the same way that if someone got your phone they could use apple pay? or if they got on your laptop they could buy things through iTunes? Or they could autofill for ids and password to websites?

All websites collect cookies, most people don't manage that data so its easy to find most things.. regardless of the OS. Hell you can find most things from Facebook anyway. I don't even need to get to a device.

Its just over reaction - its not better or worse than what apple are doing. MS has done an apple and dumbed down the installation and in doing so you get stuff like this.

 

[throAU]

What in the same way that if someone got your phone they could use apple pay? or if they got on your laptop they could buy things through iTunes? Or they could autofill for ids and password to websites?

No. Educate yourself. It's far more than that.

And no, simply going into the privacy settings screen in Windows 10 is not enough to disable it all.

 

[Renzatic]

No. Educate yourself. It's far more than that.

And no, simply going into the privacy settings screen in Windows 10 is not enough to disable it all.

Yeah, you have to turn off Cortana, and also hop over to an MS website to finish disabling it all. Though the link is conveniently placed right there at the bottom of the privacy settings.

My opinion on it all? A little creepy, but not that big of a deal, and easily fixed.

 

[AFEPPL]

Yep - just anti vendor crap, normal moans and groans..