Spying Windows 10 - How much truth is into this..

[fusi0n]

I've upgraded to Windows 10 a few times and found my self downgrading back to 8.1 due to driver issues with my SLI.. However, I'm ready to give Windows 10 another try.. 

 

I realize that this could thread and start a huge debate, and please don't do that. Mods, feel free to lock this down as soon as some light is shed.. 

 

The only reason I'm asking is because of Neowin actually.. A lot of people post that it sends a lot of info back to Microsoft.. Some hackers around the world say the same thing.. And there are a lot of tools to disable this sort of tracking.. Just google Windows 10 Spy removal.. 
This is a good article.. http://bgr.com/2015/07/31/windows-10-upgrade-spying-how-to-opt-out/

[Jim K Global Moderator]

If "spying" is analytics, diagnostic data, etc., then sure 10 is spying on you.  However, Microsoft isn't interested in spying on you but instead, collectively, how 10 is being used and how to improve on it.  For example, if x driver failed to install on 10% of Windows 10 computers then Microsoft could work with the manufacture for a fix.  Also, if only 5% of the users used a particular feature then they could either scrap the feature or rework it.  If opening x application causes y feature to break, then they can work on a fix.  Without receiving analytics and diagnostic data ... they would have no way of knowing how W10 is being used, what issues are occurring (for example driver/program crashes), etc.  I mean when Microsoft releases patches...do you think they uncovered the issue 100% of the time or do you think they (through diagnostic data) discovered that x was causing y.  They are very open to what data they are collecting and it is really no different than Apple.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement/

http://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy/

 

Earlier this month Microsoft released a blog article on Windows 10.  In this article was an example of how data collected from 10 was being used.

Quote

• Over 44.5 billion minutes spent in Microsoft Edge across Windows 10 devices in just the last month.
• Over 2.5 billion questions asked of Cortana since launch.
• Around 30% more Bing search queries per Windows 10 device vs. prior versions of Windows.
• Over 82 billion photos viewed within the Windows 10 Photo app.
• Gaming continues to grow on Windows 10 – in 2015, gamers spent over 4 billion hours playing PC games on Windows 10. Gamers have streamed more than 6.6 million hours of Xbox One games to Windows 10 PCs.

 

So with this data Microsoft was able to learn that 82 billion photos were viewed in the Photo app.  Wow, major spying going on.

 

Now there are a lot of sites claiming that Microsoft is spying ... but until someone can prove otherwise ... Microsoft is collecting "a limited amount of information to help us provide a secure and reliable experience. This includes data like an anonymous device ID, device type, and application crash data which Microsoft and our developer partners use to continuously improve application reliability. This doesn’t include any of your content or files, and we take several steps to avoid collecting any information that directly identifies you, such as your name, email address or account ID. "

 

It is no secret to anyone on these forums that I have issues with Windows 10 and the method Microsoft is aggressively pushing it ... but I'm also a realist and folks need to take off the tin foil hat.  Microsoft doesn't care what you are personally doing...but instead they want to know how their operating system is performing, how their apps are being used and what issues are occurring throughout their ecosystem.

 

[Ve7878]

Most of it is paranoia & FUD. Windows 7 (even Vista) with the default settings select will also send telemetry data back to Microsoft. Like in previous versions you can opt out of it after installation. I don't really get why there's such a big deal about it when they're so open about it & give you so many options to customise it how the user wants it. Funny the same people who complain about it, openly use Google.

[T3X4S]

Yes, the mighty Microsoft wants to know everything about you so they can report back to the illuminati and their leader Kanye West.

Sorry - had to - so much tinfoil in the whole win10 spying - mixed in with a little truth

Im spying on you too - 
 

[bikeman25]

No Different than previous versions of Windows, other programs, and such,   Personally I myself have no problem at all with it.   I'd even opt in if given a choice, as I like to feel i'm helping improve things by using applications in my daily use....

 

 

[Ice_Blue]

13 hours ago, jjkusaf said:

[snip]

...

It is no secret to anyone on these forums that I have issues with Windows 10 and the method Microsoft is aggressively pushing it ... but I'm also a realist and folks need to take off the tin foil hat.  Microsoft doesn't care what you are personally doing...but instead they want to know how their operating system is performing, how their apps are being used and what issues are occurring throughout their ecosystem.

 

Thank you for this breath of fresh air. A great explanation that does much to dissipate the clouds of FUD surrounding Microsoft's telemetry.

[simplezz]

A lot of people are under the impression that Windows 10 is free; It's not, you are the product. Giving up your data and your privacy is the price you pay. If you're happy with that arrangement, welcome to the future of Windows.

[Draconian Guppy]

4 hours ago, T3X4S said:

Yes, the mighty Microsoft wants to know everything about you so they can report back to the illuminati and their leader Kanye West.

Sorry - had to - so much tinfoil in the whole win10 spying - mixed in with a little truth

Im spying on you too - 
 

But their supreme leaders, who are stationed on the moon are Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, Jim Morisson and John F. Kennedy,  also, if JFK is there, so must Marylin  

[adrynalyne]

2 minutes ago, simplezz said:

A lot of people are under the impression that Windows 10 is free; It's not, you are the product. Giving up your data and your privacy is the price you pay. If you're happy with that arrangement, welcome to the future of Windows.

What exactly do you think they are doing with the data I wonder?

[Gotenks98]

Don't worry about it so much. Practically every OS does this now. Apple has been doing it for years its just no one bothered to go thru their EULA with a fine tooth comb the same way they did with Windows 10. Even certain distro's of Linux sends home data. If you use any google product you have been giving away your data for years. At least with Microsoft they are using the data to improve the product.

[Torolol]

1 minute ago, adrynalyne said:

What exactly do you think they are doing with the data I wonder?

probably the same like what google did, monetizing them, but in more secretive way.

hoarding & storing all those datas aren't free either.

[simplezz]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

What exactly do you think they are doing with the data I wonder?

Nobody knows except Microsoft.

[adrynalyne]

2 minutes ago, Torolol said:

probably the same like what google did, monetizing them, but in more secretive way.

hoarding & storing all those datas aren't free either.

Proof that they are doing that?

2 minutes ago, simplezz said:

Nobody knows except Microsoft.

Then why do you make #### up? All versions of Windows collect data. Windows 7 users paid for it with a grin on their face. There is no BS conspiracy of collecting your data and in turn you get a free upgrade. 

[Torolol]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

Proof that they are doing that?

proper proof only available if Microsoft would allow public audits of said data on Microsoft servers, so far no such audit ever happened.

[simplezz]

2 minutes ago, Gotenks98 said:

Don't worry about it so much. Practically every OS does this now.

That's a bold face lie. My OS doesn't spy on me.

[adrynalyne]

Just now, Torolol said:

proper proof only available if Microsoft would allow public audits of said data on Microsoft servers, so far no such audit ever happened.

So you too are making stuff up. 

[Torolol]

5 minutes ago, adrynalyne said:

So you too are making stuff up. 

so why no audit then, you take Microsoft's statements/words 100% as truth like those religionist did for their religion?

[simplezz]

1 minute ago, adrynalyne said:

So you too are making stuff up. 

We can make educated guesses. For instance, it's pretty much a given that they're collecting the searches that you make via Cortana. But in the end it's all supposition. Though personally, I think that's actually worse because no one knows what they're doing. Only Microsoft knows how it scrapes off its customers, and what it does with the data.

[adrynalyne]

Just now, Torolol said:

so why no audit then, you take Microsoft word 100% as truth like those religionist did for their religion?

I'm not taking anyone's word, least of all yours. I'd just like for once that these privacy alarmists actually give some evidence for their accusations. It has yet to happen. 

[T3X4S]

So funny - people actually think they know what is going on with their OS - and all the underlying stuff huge corporations do 

*note - I am not saying one way or the other in regards to privacy issues.  I am saying that people who think "my OS doesnt do that " or " I know what [insert company or product] is doing with all of that data mining is just funny.*

The tinfoil hat brigade feed off of mob mentality - 1 gets riled up and they all start salivating like a collective Pavlovian response

Oh - google is evil too

[ITOps]

User's agree to send their information to Microsoft when they install the operating system.  If they want to block this information from getting back to Microsoft they should block access using a hardware firewall and audit the requests going out to the Windows update domains.  Cortana searches only fully work if the results are sent back to Microsoft, it is Microsoft's version of Siri and OK, Google.  Now most users will not have a hardware firewall, but that is pretty much the only way to control the information allowed in and out of the their network.

[Flawedspirit]

32 minutes ago, simplezz said:

That's a bold face lie. My OS doesn't spy on me.

And this OS is......?

[Raa]

Yes it's true. Yes it can be blocked, disabled and/or removed.

 

Next question?

[binaryzero]

This thread is stupid. 

[Ian W]

1 hour ago, simplezz said:

That's a bold face lie. My OS doesn't spy on me.

User wrote "practically every OS" not every OS.