Tweaking Windows 10 Privacy Settings

[Julio Franco]

Several controversial privacy issues have kept many from upgrading to Windows 10, even with the free upgrade offer (still) on the table. While some of the initial uproar may have been overblown, there are some settings worth visiting in this post-Snowden era of heightened concern regarding personal privacy. Today, we’ll examine a handful of the more questionable features and settings and show you how to go about regaining some of your privacy.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/article/1342-windows-10-privacy-settings/

 

[psycros]

"Though if you ask us, not asking in the first place and defaulting to the most private settings would be the ideal step forward."

Even then you'd have no assurance that they would actually stop collecting user data. Microsoft has been caught lying about this too many times now. Unlike Google who is relatively up-front about the fact their spying on everything you do, Microsoft is still pretending it cares about your privacy. That's the real issue, unfortunately. As for Apple, they don't sell your data and have a proven record of resisting government overreach. (Security exploits are another matter.) Their probably the closest thing to what I see as an obvious business model: a subscription-based device ecosystem free of OS-level spying.

 

[Nobina]

"Though if you ask us, not asking in the first place and defaulting to the most private settings would be the ideal step forward."

Even then you'd have no assurance that they would actually stop collecting user data. Microsoft has been caught lying about this too many times now. Unlike Google who is relatively up-front about the fact their spying on everything you do, Microsoft is still pretending it cares about your privacy. That's the real issue, unfortunately. As for Apple, they don't sell your data and have a proven record of resisting government overreach. (Security exploits are another matter.) Their probably the closest thing to what I see as an obvious business model: a subscription-based device ecosystem free of OS-level spying.

Unfortunately unless OS X becomes available for average PC, which it never will, it's not really an alternative for many people, including me. So we're stuck with Microsoft and their ads inside OS, spying and other crap.

 

[tomkaten]

The article's GIF on the front page illustrates how Windows is checking up your private stuff... =))

 

[BMore]

Yeahhhh, Hey Mircrosoft if we could just go ahead and turn it all off, you know like it's our PC that'd be greeeeaaaaat

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

"Though if you ask us, not asking in the first place and defaulting to the most private settings would be the ideal step forward."

Even then you'd have no assurance that they would actually stop collecting user data. Microsoft has been caught lying about this too many times now. Unlike Google who is relatively up-front about the fact their spying on everything you do, Microsoft is still pretending it cares about your privacy. That's the real issue, unfortunately. As for Apple, they don't sell your data and have a proven record of resisting government overreach. (Security exploits are another matter.) Their probably the closest thing to what I see as an obvious business model: a subscription-based device ecosystem free of OS-level spying.

Unfortunately unless OS X becomes available for average PC, which it never will, it's not really an alternative for many people, including me. So we're stuck with Microsoft and their ads inside OS, spying and other crap.

The spying we can do absolutely nothing about, the same holds true for OSX but we don't have to suffer the ad's or put up with Cortana, that mess can easily be uninstalled by the click of the mouse. The solution? Slide each and every button to the 'off' position YOU don't deem absolutely necessary.

 

[DaveBG]

Its proven you cannot just turn it off. I have a test PC with windows 10 and after turning all off it still contacts MS IPs and send large amounts of data that I have no idea what it is. Strangely enough you cannot detect the leaking traffic from the mentioned PC but only with external tools.

 

[turismozilla]

I wonder if W10 can be remastered with NTLite to trim off all of the annoyances.

 

[turismozilla]

Unfortunately unless OS X becomes available for average PC, which it never will, it's not really an alternative for many people, including me. So we're stuck with Microsoft and their ads inside OS, spying and other crap.

I am not a Linux fanboy, but Linux has come a looooong way, and I fell Linux is there in terms of functionality and usability, Linux Mint is great as an everyday desktop OS.

 

[texasrattler]

Its proven you cannot just turn it off. I have a test PC with windows 10 and after turning all off it still contacts MS IPs and send large amounts of data that I have no idea what it is. Strangely enough you cannot detect the leaking traffic from the mentioned PC but only with external tools.

It' been proven that to many people are paranoid. Who cares if they take data, once again ppl act like this is new, its not. Been happening for a long time n isnt just gonna stop.
Performance isnt being hampered so there is nothing to worry about unless your hiding something.

So unless you have proof of them doing something illegal or a performance issue, no one will care what MS or any other manufacturer does.

 

[treetops]

I rock windows 7, if anyone wants to you can revert back to your old OS for free. And if you register your windows 10 key you can upgrade back to 10 for free anytime in the future if your using the same hardware. Google it if you want to know more. I went to 10 for a day then reverted back to 7. I didn't like using a ad ridden tablet like OS.

Windows 10: The least popular smart phone OS, now on your computer! yay?

 

[captaincranky]

It' been proven that to many people are paranoid. Who cares if they take data, once again ppl act like this is new, its not. Been happening for a long time n isnt just gonna stop.
Performance isnt being hampered so there is nothing to worry about unless your hiding something.

You're absolutely correct, M$ has been over the top obnoxious for quite some time. For example, I stuffed a video card into my running a legitimate copy of Windows 7 PC, while it was disconnected from the internet. Next thing I knew, I was getting "your copy of Windows may not be legitimate notices, along with some helpful tips on how to buy a licensed copy. The rudeness didn't stop there. Good ole M$, (after their forced verification), was pedantic enough to tell me my copy of Windows is valid, Something of which I was already well aware. But this Windows 10 garbage is way, way over, what was already well over the top.

ISo unless you have proof of them doing something illegal or a performance issue, no one will care what MS or any other manufacturer does.

The fact that you felt obligated to post this BS must mean somebody does care, and you don't feel like listening to them. Could you give us some background on why you feel that way? I mean after all, if you don't have anything to hide, what would be the problem?

What should we do, walk into the store with our eyes down, wallets in our hand in front of us and say "pretty please, jack me up with a copy of the 'best Windows ever'. I promise not to make any trouble".

So how did they buy you out of Windows 7, bribe you with DX-12? Do you work for them? Which sites do you visit while you're on the web? Do you view porn? Have you ever illegally downloaded cracked software, or an episode of "Game of Thrones", perhaps? Does your computer have software installed which can break copy guard protections? C'mon share with us. After all, you're proselytizing M$ should be able to take whatever info they desire from us. Put your personal info where your mouth is, right here on the forum pages.

 

[DaveBG]

It' been proven that to many people are paranoid. Who cares if they take data, once again ppl act like this is new, its not. Been happening for a long time n isnt just gonna stop.
Performance isnt being hampered so there is nothing to worry about unless your hiding something.

So unless you have proof of them doing something illegal or a performance issue, no one will care what MS or any other manufacturer does.

I care. Its not your business what data I have, it might be worthless to you but I still does not want MS employees to stick their noses in it!!! And with all that bloatware do not get me started how slow is windows 10!

 

[texasrattler]

NO I have nothing to hide. Are you kidding me. Governments have been doing this since the dawn of time. Even more so since the '50s and '60s. Wake up.
There is no personal info out their, even more so when the internet came to be. It can all be accessed by anyone with the means and desire.

Those who seem to care about, oh my data is sacred to me lol ... no data has ever been sacred or even secured. Your living in a pipe dream if you ever thought that.

 

[texasrattler]

Bloatware, lol so disable it, uninstall it or simply turn it off. Come on now. If that's not good enough for ya, I suggest you simply stop using a computer and cellphone.

You can even remove all the manufacturer crap (bloatware) on a computer and your computer will run just fine. Incase you didn't know that.

 

[captaincranky]

Bloatware, lol so disable it, uninstall it or simply turn it off. Come on now. If that's not good enough for ya, I suggest you simply stop using a computer and cellphone....[ ]....

The logical interpretation of this quote is, you're telling us if we don't want to use Windows 10, we should stop using computers altogether? That's ignorant, obnoxious, and rude, even by M$'s current minimal ethical standards. Who exactly do you think you are?

 

[texasrattler]

You seem to not be able to understand Windows, so yes you should stop using it. You can always go back to 7 for a few more years. Even go to Linux. Chrome OS is also a option for you. Either way no one cares what you choose but those are your choices since you clearly don't like/want to use MS OS.

If you feel MS is unethical, you might as well put every manufacturer in there to as no one in business is ethical. They all liar n cheat in some way or another.

The only one who is ignorant is ppl like you who think MS is the only one doing anything wrong. WAKE UP. Get out of the pipe dream your living in.

 

[Athlonite]

"Though if you ask us, not asking in the first place and defaulting to the most private settings would be the ideal step forward."

Even then you'd have no assurance that they would actually stop collecting user data. Microsoft has been caught lying about this too many times now. Unlike Google who is relatively up-front about the fact their spying on everything you do, Microsoft is still pretending it cares about your privacy. That's the real issue, unfortunately. As for Apple, they don't sell your data and have a proven record of resisting government overreach. (Security exploits are another matter.) Their probably the closest thing to what I see as an obvious business model: a subscription-based device ecosystem free of OS-level spying.

Unfortunately unless OS X becomes available for average PC, which it never will, it's not really an alternative for many people, including me. So we're stuck with Microsoft and their ads inside OS, spying and other crap.

Not if you use a program call O&O Shut Up 10 you can turn all of the spy/ads off in one foul swoop and be done with it

 

[Sebastien A.]

Who cares if they take data, once again ppl act like this is new, its not. Been happening for a long time n isnt just gonna stop.
Performance isnt being hampered so there is nothing to worry about unless your hiding something.

So unless you have proof of them doing something illegal or a performance issue, no one will care what MS or any other manufacturer does.

So you don't understand the concept of privacy. I had the same thoughts years ago but then I really got it. It's not a question of having things to hide or not.... It has nothing to do about you. It's all about them. Are they allowed to take your info without your consentement. If we don't fight for this keep saying "I have nothing to hide, take everything you want", then they will do just that.

If you buy a new camera security system from "JoeBob SecurCamera" and you install it everywhere in your house, does this give them the permission to log in YOUR system and watch you 24/7 just because it's their product? Would you still buy that system if it was written on the box "we can and we will watch you in your own house whenver we please" ?

If you have nothing to hide, why don't you give me your house's keys so I can go and see what you got and take everything I want? You just won't do that because you don't know me and if I take anything WITHOUT your consentement it would be concidered as thieft and you would send the cops after me.

Just because the information all those companies are taking is not tangible doesn't give them the right to "steal" it and do whatever they want with it. Yes you bought their product but that's it, it stops there. You already gave them the money, you don't owe them anything else and they shouldn't be able to take anything from you without clearly asking first.

 

[texasrattler]

So you don't understand the concept of privacy. I had the same thoughts years ago but then I really got it. It's not a question of having things to hide or not.... It has nothing to do about you. It's all about them. Are they allowed to take your info without your consentement. If we don't fight for this keep saying "I have nothing to hide, take everything you want", then they will do just that.

If you buy a new camera security system from "JoeBob SecurCamera" and you install it everywhere in your house, does this give them the permission to log in YOUR system and watch you 24/7 just because it's their product? Would you still buy that system if it was written on the box "we can and we will watch you in your own house whenver we please" ?

If you have nothing to hide, why don't you give me your house's keys so I can go and see what you got and take everything I want? You just won't do that because you don't know me and if I take anything WITHOUT your consentement it would be concidered as thieft and you would send the cops after me.

Just because the information all those companies are taking is not tangible doesn't give them the right to "steal" it and do whatever they want with it. Yes you bought their product but that's it, it stops there. You already gave them the money, you don't owe them anything else and they shouldn't be able to take anything from you without clearly asking first.

It 's ppl like you who seem you don't understand that there never has been privacy. You believe there is cause ppl tell you but there isn't. Governments and manufacturers have been able to see everything for a very long time. That is not going to stop. If you think it is, good luck believing in something that will never ever happen. Privacy is a joke, there is no such thing.

Stealing, you think they actually ever need your permission, nope. They have been and will continue to operate in a way that benefits them.

 

[Sebastien A.]

It 's ppl like you who seem you don't understand that there never has been privacy. You believe there is cause ppl tell you but there isn't. Governments and manufacturers have been able to see everything for a very long time. That is not going to stop. If you think it is, good luck believing in something that will never ever happen. Privacy is a joke, there is no such thing.

Stealing, you think they actually ever need your permission, nope. They have been and will continue to operate in a way that benefits them.

haha, don't get me wrong, I already know those things.

I know they've been doing so for ages. I know that there is no "real privacy" BUT this doesn't mean it's right. Just because they do it doesn't mean they are allowed to. There is no privacy because they are doing illegal things to begin with.

You know why it's not going to stop and why all those companies are getting away with it? Because of ppl like you who don't care for your rights and keep saying "I have nothing to hide so come and get all the info you want from me, I'll be your dog, use me". That doesn't give them an excuse to do so. Even if they had done it for 5 thousand years doesn't mean it's right.

If a cop stops you for no reason and ask you for your ID, wallet and cell phone, will you give them everything just because you have nothing to hide? (you probably would lol) If I was the one asking you for all that, would you react the same way?