Windows 10 China Government Edition features additional control over data-collection and encryption

[Delicieuxz]

Windows 10 China Government Edition allows China to control encryption and telemetry

 

Quote

 

Microsoft's event in Shanghai today may have been mainly about the Surface Pro, but there was also news of a new version of Windows 10. The new version -- which we reported about a couple of months ago -- is called Windows 10 China Government Edition and it makes a number of concessions to keep Chinese officials happy.

 

It’s a release that raises a lot of questions. The Windows 10 China Government Edition allows the country to not only use its own encryption, but also to control updates, remove unwanted apps, and manage telemetry. Users around the world will almost certainly be asking why control over telemetry is not an option for them, and what the implications of making changes for the Chinese government could be.

 

Coming after Microsoft spent two years "earnestly cooperat[ing] with the Chinese government on the security review of Windows 10," the custom version of the operating system will be used by Chinese government and state-owned entities. Lenovo will be among the first OEMs to provide hardware with Windows 10 China Government Edition preinstalled.

 

Terry Myerson says of the new release:

Quote

The Windows 10 China Government Edition is based on Windows 10 Enterprise Edition, which already includes many of the security, identity, deployment, and manageability features governments and enterprises need.  The China Government Edition will use these manageability features to remove features that are not needed by Chinese government employees like OneDrive, to manage all telemetry and updates, and to enable the government to use its own encryption algorithms within its computer systems.

Windows had been banned from Chinese government computers in 2014 amid concerns about security and US surveillance. The changes introduced to Windows 10 are the company's attempt to get back on the right side of China and avoid missing out on a lucrative market.

 

 

It sounds like China is getting the version of Windows 10 that everyone wants. Hopefully this version will eventually come to the rest of the world. But if it doesn't, all that needs to be done is for governments to ban Windows from their countries, and then Microsoft will make the same changes in order to be able to sell their products in said countries.

[alexyy]

I imagine they made it worth Microsoft's time quite interesting for them to use an American company though must be pretty locked down. 

[vanished]

I find it interesting they're still using Windows at all.  I thought they really wanted to get to a point where they can use all their own software and hardware, and I thought they pretty much did already.

[vorticalbox]

I'm sure it will be leaked to torrent sites at some points. We care about what Microsoft is tracking and businesses will too, but the average user that makes up a lot of the customer base? They probably don't even know and if they did probably wouldn't care. 

[vorticalbox]

Just now, huilun02 said:

Don't envy them. The special version was probably developed in collaboration with the NSA

Its made only for those who work for the Chinese govt, which comprise of how many percent of their population? Lucrative market huh

definitely not, China has access to the source code.

[Jurrunio]

I think they'll just download ISO of original Windows 10.

9 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I find it interesting they're still using Windows at all.  I thought they really wanted to get to a point where they can use all their own software and hardware, and I thought they pretty much did already.

Only North Korea managed to sort of do it by using a customized Windows XP.

[vanished]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

I think they'll just download ISO of original Windows 10.

what?

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

Only North Korea managed to sort of do it by using a customized Windows XP.

I was thinking more like Linux

[Jurrunio]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

what?

i.e. Avoid Chinese Govt approved version by buying keys from nearby countries.

[vanished]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

i.e. Avoid Chinese Govt approved version by buying keys from nearby countries.

My understanding is this isn't a version approved by the government for use by the people, but instead developed with the government for use by said government

[vorticalbox]

21 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

Like how NSA has no access to source code of regular versions of Windows

And then wannacry is a thing

true but i'm sure china would be watching the code like a hawk for anything back-door like.

[PlayStation 2]

"WTF I love China now"

The telemetry thing sounds like it'd be more under control of group policy rather than the user.

[NumLock21]

The os wasn't announced 'today'. It was announced a week or so ago. 

[typographie]

1 hour ago, Delicieuxz said:

But if it doesn't, all that needs to be done is for governments to ban Windows from their countries,

The rationale for doing this in China is because they want to run their own walled off and censored version of the internet, and spy on their citizens themselves. I think we may be better off with Microsoft just collecting their anonymous ad data.

[Drenkai]

This is horrible. No government should have control over telemetry and encryption like this, especially not the Chinese government who would most likely use it to oppress their citizens.

[themctipers]

Just now, Drenkai said:

This is horrible. No government should have control over telemetry and encryption like this, especially not the Chinese government who would most likely use it to oppress their citizens.

but windows is doing the telemetry, its just that china's government now gets to control what is being sent over to microsoft (through windows 10 telemetry) and gets to change what type of encryption they can use 

[Drenkai]

10 minutes ago, themctipers said:

but windows is doing the telemetry, its just that china's government now gets to control what is being sent over to microsoft (through windows 10 telemetry) and gets to change what type of encryption they can use 

Trust me it's not that simple or else it wouldn't be the China government edition. China has a history of mass surveillance in order to stop "rebellions". This would allow them to extend their reach. Choosing the encryption also means that they'll have a way to decrypt.

 

Edit: Heck they even have a CCTV network in cities called Skynet.

Edited May 28, 2017 by Drenkai

[iamdarkyoshi]

1 hour ago, Nicholatian said:

I like China.

[Grinners]

People in this thread seem to be thinking that the people of China will be restricted to this version but the article clearly says this is for government computers, not citizen's computers:

 

"the custom version of the operating system will be used by Chinese government and state-owned entities"

[Doobeedoo]

Ok this edition will be interesting to see, I'm also sure it will show up on torrent sites too. It will be provided by OEMs so that's cool. I really do wonder how much it differs in the end how much of a control will be there.

[yian88]

I hope someone manages to make a language mod for china edition so i can use it myself, maybe we can activate it too

[GoodBytes]

11 hours ago, yian88 said:

I hope someone manages to make a language mod for china edition so i can use it myself, maybe we can activate it too

Windows already supports Chinese. And even if you are in China, unless you are working at the governmental level or with governmental computers, it should not concern you. You have other things that you should be concerned about.

[vorticalbox]

35 minutes ago, Grinners said:

People in this thread seem to be thinking that the people of China will be restricted to this version but the article clearly says this is for government computers, not citizen's computers:

 

"the custom version of the operating system will be used by Chinese government and state-owned entities"

so what makes it different than the enterprise version? That also allows you to control telemetry data. 

[Foxxer]

56 minutes ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

-snip-

Please

[GDRRiley]

4 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Like how NSA has no access to source code of regular versions of Windows

And then wannacry is a thing

They did have it. when Microsoft goes and offers windows to countries they will allow them to have the source code.

[Lazmarr]

10 hours ago, typographie said:

The rationale for doing this in China is because they want to run their own walled off and censored version of the internet, and spy on their citizens themselves. I think we may be better off with Microsoft just collecting their anonymous ad data.

Exactly this. The Chinese government wants ways to monitor their citizens, deny access to areas that do not conform with their views, principles and culture. This version of Windows allows them to do this with no holds barred; custom encryption could allow the government a backdoor into every PC running the Chinese OS, allowing the government to spy and monitor those users, install malicious applications to prevent access to content and more.

This is not the version we want. If you do you may as well vote for Theresa May...