Upcoming Windows 10 update will reveal what data Microsoft is collecting about you

[Polycount]

When Windows 10 was first released, the OS was received well enough on its merits but users were quick to voice concerns regarding Microsoft's new data collection measures, some of which could not easily be turned off.

Over time, these concerns became more widespread and eventually caught the attention of certain government authorities. In October 2017, the Dutch data protection authority claimed Windows 10 violated local privacy laws. The year prior, France's data protection commission voiced similar concerns and ordered the software giant to "stop collecting excessive user data" without consent.

Microsoft has taken steps to address these concerns -- including the implementation of a "privacy dashboard" -- but they haven't managed to silence them entirely.

Microsoft will soon be offering Windows 10 users a new level of transparency in an upcoming OS update. The update will include the "Windows Diagnostic Data Viewer" feature which will let users see exactly what data the company is collecting about them.

According to The Verge, Microsoft collects data regarding your peripherals, movie consumption habits, installed apps and more. This update will be made available to Windows 10 Insiders sometime this week but there's no word on when it will be launching for everyone else.

Offering more transparency is definitely a step in the right direction for Microsoft but it's not a perfect solution to the problem. Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/72918-upcoming-windows-10-update-reveal-what-data-microsoft.html

 

[Teko03]

Fixed: "Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely, but will continue to proudly use any and all Google products."

 

[ShagnWagn]

"We are going to provide a dashboard of what we want you to think we are only collecting."

So you are giving users a text dashboard in a cryptic programming language that hardly anyone will want or be able to read? *snort*

Too little, too late. Your reputation and trust is completely gone. I don't believe you are telling us everything. I'm sure you have a way to hide whatever else you are not telling us is being sent. I just don't know what you can do to reestablish that trust. Sorry I do not have the answer.

 

[Mister_K]

Fixed: "Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely, but will continue to proudly use any and all Google products."

at this point you either have to go full VPN Tunneling with TOR and what not or simply disconnect from the Internet entirely and live a simple life.

 

[Evernessince]

Fixed: "Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely, but will continue to proudly use any and all Google products."

at this point you either have to go full VPN Tunneling with TOR and what not or simply disconnect from the Internet entirely and live a simple life.

VPN won't help squat if you are signed into your google account the whole time. Ditto goes for TOR. In reality, the best privacy is achieved by a smart user.

 

[hk2000]

EU countries just love to stick it to American corporations. Maybe the Europeans should try to come up with an OS of their own and stop using Windows? No? Well then STHU.
There isn't a product out there- HW, or SW, that doesn't either spy on its users or contain a built in ability to do so! IOW, yeah, either live with it and behave like you're being watched and don't do anything stupid, criminal or embarrassing, or cut yourself off.
If you don't think you're ISP collects the same information and more, then you're being naive.

 

[trparky]

Fixed: "Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely, but will continue to proudly use any and all Google products."

I've always said that Google seems to get a free pass on this kind of stuff, what with their "Don't be evil" tag line but as for Microsoft? Oh no, we can't have that. *grabs pitchforks and torches*

 

[Uncle Al]

You have to admit that Microsoft is pretty smart. They finally figured out they can make more money by selling your information rather than charging you for the software. If we could ever get Congress to write an addendum to the Constitution with an amendment that guarantees a persons "Right To Privacy" that they may only sight away with a complete understanding of what and how the information may be shared and only allowing a "one time use" so it cannot be resold again and again with no control by the individual.

 

[Prosercunus]

Fixed: "Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely, but will continue to proudly use any and all Google products."

at this point you either have to go full VPN Tunneling with TOR and what not or simply disconnect from the Internet entirely and live a simple life.

If my job would just send me checks for not showing up I would do the latter in a heartbeat.

 

[Cubi Dorf]

It funny you can’t use image of a grumpy cat because someone owns right to it, but you can “collect “ other people data and sell without them knowing. Not making sense to me the rules.

 

[Puiu]

"We are going to provide a dashboard of what we want you to think we are only collecting."

So you are giving users a text dashboard in a cryptic programming language that hardly anyone will want or be able to read? *snort*

Too little, too late. Your reputation and trust is completely gone. I don't believe you are telling us everything. I'm sure you have a way to hide whatever else you are not telling us is being sent. I just don't know what you can do to reestablish that trust. Sorry I do not have the answer.

You don't have to worry about the fact that you don't understand a programming language. you can still read most of the stuff there and you can be sure that more tech-savvy people will post online their findings in more simple terms.

 

[Puiu]

EU countries just love to stick it to American corporations. Maybe the Europeans should try to come up with an OS of their own and stop using Windows? No? Well then STHU.
There isn't a product out there- HW, or SW, that doesn't either spy on its users or contain a built in ability to do so! IOW, yeah, either live with it and behave like you're being watched and don't do anything stupid, criminal or embarrassing, or cut yourself off.
If you don't think you're ISP collects the same information and more, then you're being naive.

You do realise that the majority of people that wrote the code for windows are not american, right? For example, it is well known that the second most spoken language in MS offices is romanian.

It is us who should tell you to use an "american" OS and stop using ours, but why would we do that when we can make so much money from it

 

[hahahanoobs]

"Many users likely won't be satisfied until the company ceases their data collection entirely."

Good luck to them.

 

[MaXtor]

Fixed: "Upcoming Windows 10 update will reveal 'some of' what data Microsoft is collecting about you"

The amount of phone-home IPs that Windows connects to without your consent, even after disabling all data collection and enabling all privacy settings... this update will definitely not reveal all. I have a homebrew router running Untangle, I've logged and blocked their constant phoning home, of course they probably have some on demand or just more periodical trojans which I haven't caught yet.

 

[trparky]

It funny you can’t use image of a grumpy cat because someone owns right to it, but you can “collect “ other people data and sell without them knowing. Not making sense to me the rules.

Wrong company. Microsoft doesn't do that, Google does it all the darn time and yet Google seems to get a free pass. Google good, Microsoft BAD!!!

 

[cliffordcooley]

It funny you can’t use image of a grumpy cat because someone owns right to it, but you can “collect “ other people data and sell without them knowing. Not making sense to me the rules.

You must be talking about this topic.
https://www.techspot.com/community/topics/grumpy-cat-wins-over-700-000-in-copyright-lawsuit.244051/

A topic of which the images were of "the grumpy cat". The label was even labeled "Grumpy Cat. It is clear the name and image was derived from the one and only Grumpy Cat images and videos floating around various social media outlets.

And the data collection you speak of (as bad as I hate saying it) was/is a fair trade between application user and designer.

So no the comparison is not the same thing.

 

[Joe Blow]

It'll be a whole lot of nothing.

 

[MaXtor]

Not sure about the whole "Google gets a pass" thing. I avoid Google services as much as possible. Why do you think privacy oriented search engines like DuckDuckGo (anonymous bing) and StartPage (anonymous google) are used by millions of people? Anyone who is legitimately concerned with Windows spying on them is most likely concerned of the same with Google and all large corporations. The real problem is most people choose familiarity, simplicity and convenience over privacy and security.

 

[captaincranky]

I'm hoping that businesses will finally figure out the simple truth, and that is, they're pissing enormous quantities of money away in advertising anyway.

Mercedes Benz can roadblock advertise their new model on broadcast TV, all they want. I can't afford one, and I have a mute button.

Amazon, I won't buy squat from them, unless it's practically a matter of life and death.

And Google well, I won't answer their "targeted advertising" in my email, even if it's from a company I normally do business with.

As for M$., they have their Satya Nadella, and I have my Windows XP, and Windows 7.

The only thing you forward thinking techies have to worry about, is when M$ & Nadella, finally finish closing up the system, blocking independent developers out, and going to a subscription model for Windows. I mean after all, their business was built on selling $200.00 copies of Windows. Which ain't going to cut it here in the new millennium. After all, it's hard to get people to pay $200.00 for an OS, you're going to install in a $100.00 tablet.

So, how many of you want to pay the "imbecile tax", by waiting until after April Fool's Day, to buy a new Surface for $100.00 more with Windows 10 Pro instead of Windows 10 S, when if you stop screwing around now, you can get it for free?

Let me see a show of hands...

 

[Teko03]

I'm hoping that businesses will finally figure out the simple truth, and that is, they're pissing enormous quantities of money away in advertising anyway.

Mercedes Benz can roadblock advertise their new model on broadcast TV, all they want. I can't afford one, and I have a mute button.

Amazon, I won't buy squat from them, unless it's practically a matter of life and death.

And Google well, I won't answer their "targeted advertising" in my email, even if it's from a company I normally do business with.

As for M$., they have their Satya Nadella, and I have my Windows XP, and Windows 7.

The only thing you forward thinking techies have to worry about, is when M$ & Nadella, finally finish closing up the system, blocking independent developers out, and going to a subscription model for Windows. I mean after all, their business was built on selling $200.00 copies of Windows. Which ain't going to cut it here in the new millennium. After all, it's hard to get people to pay $200.00 for an OS, you're going to install in a $100.00 tablet.

So, how many of you want to pay the "imbecile tax", by waiting until after April Fool's Day, to buy a new Surface for $100.00 more with Windows 10 Pro instead of Windows 10 S, when if you stop screwing around now, you can get it for free?

Let me see a show of hands...

Microsoft still monetizes Windows through OEM devices and businesses. They're not concerned with consumers buying retail licenses anymore, considering Windows is no longer it's money maker. They have their Azure cloud business and Office 365 for "printing" money there's days.

 

[veLa]

EU countries just love to stick it to American corporations. Maybe the Europeans should try to come up with an OS of their own and stop using Windows? No? Well then STHU.
There isn't a product out there- HW, or SW, that doesn't either spy on its users or contain a built in ability to do so! IOW, yeah, either live with it and behave like you're being watched and don't do anything stupid, criminal or embarrassing, or cut yourself off.
If you don't think you're ISP collects the same information and more, then you're being naive.

First of all, American company or not, they are obligated to follow the law in whatever nation(s) they operate in.

Second of all, Microsoft is an international business. It's hardly just an American company, as they employee people across the globe.

 

[Cubi Dorf]

Wrong company. Microsoft doesn't do that, Google does it all the darn time and yet Google seems to get a free pass. Google good, Microsoft BAD!!!

I think Microsoft do it because they see Google, Facebook, and Apple getting rich from it. They all doing it now so there isn’t alternative to escape of it. The amount of people who push back is so small they don’t matter to business. It making sad no matter which company.

 

[lostinlodos]

Yep, out on the limb again.
Don’t hid the fact I like and prefer targeted advertising.
Selling to me directly
Don’t mind Microsoft or anyone else selling that data to someone else either, since it further helps target.
If I want to support a website I’ll click an advert. But I’m more likely to click something I’m at least halfway interested in and not birth control or enlargement pills.
I don’t want Mercedes adverts either, because I visited a dodge or Chevy forum. Try hitting me with dodge and Chevy advertisers though and you’re more likely to catch my interest and bring in extra funding.
Same goes for the OS
Microsoft has made valuable suggestions for me based on my application use. While I’ve no interest in using Edge, bing has become my new search of choice.
The results really are better for many things.
I turn OFF do not track. I want to be tracked.I turn ON location services, so I can find a store or service down the street; not 5 states over.
And if they want to look at my keyboard, mouse, network card... so what! Maybe they’re suggestions for upgrades are good, maybe not.
When you set aside the philosophical debate about right and wrong... where is the real issue for anyone not breaking the law?
That means don’t rant at me about privacy this or that. I don’t care about your privacy OR mine. I’m more or less open book to begin with!
If someone can point to a non-morality, real world, issue I’m all ears for a discussion.
Does it threaten my computer, my health, my... anything?
Because when it comes to my online world I’m of the same opinion as offline. If you don’t want to see me naked don’t look in my window. And if you do? Whatever!
As long as they’re not recording keystrokes and passwords; I don’t really care. Yes, I draw a line, at banking. Being able to read my life; don’t really care. Realistically they can read anything of mine they want, just don’t OUTBOUND anything. Don’t remove money from my bank, don’t send emails to others from my account... and you can read anything you want.

 

[Joe Blow]

They won't show you anything worthwhile.

 

[Mister_K]

VPN won't help squat if you are signed into your google account the whole time. Ditto goes for TOR. In reality, the best privacy is achieved by a smart user.

You can still be signed into your google account and be "a ghost". As I say, it depends how far you want to go.

Microsoft still monetizes Windows through OEM devices and businesses. They're not concerned with consumers buying retail licenses anymore, considering Windows is no longer it's money maker. They have their Azure cloud business and Office 365 for "printing" money there's days.

and it does it bloody well. I load up Office 365 with an Exchange Email for my clients all the time (with little extra markup for myself). Even simple Exchange account which is around £3.25 x 250 = £812 a month, and that is small scale. I double it for extra profit, clients dont bat an eye.