Microsoft shares what it collectes in Windows 10 Telemetry data

[79wjd]

7 minutes ago, HimymCZe said:

Love reading all these dumb-asses with GTX 1070+ in thumbnail hating on W10....

huh?

[Drak3]

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 1:02 AM, vorticalbox said:

it might seem like a lot of data, I doubt the data collected has changed very much since xp.

It's changed quite a bit, more comprehensive on what issues occur, system configurations that are the most/least stable with which builds, feature use (both first and third party), and there is SOME data that can be used for advertising through MS' advert platform (that's far more trust worthy from both a virus prospect AND who gets access to your data), and it can be turned off at any point, in any Windows 10 build, either after the fact or during initial setup. But it isn't what the tinfoil hat society claims.

On ‎4‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 11:58 PM, Windspeed36 said:

Am I the only one who doesn't have any issue with the telemetry data?

I don't have any issue with it. Then again, I don't buy into the bullshit sensationalist articles. I skim them for what few facts they have, back check, and come to the same conclusion every time: sensationalist bullshit making actual telemetry data out to be Microsoft out NSAing the NSA.

[Arika]

[removed]

[Belgarathian]

So I can give information to Microsoft with W10, or I can lose all my data to WannaCry on W7. Real Sophie's choice here. 

 

Back to MS DOS

[LAwLz]

3 hours ago, Drak3 said:

and it can be turned off at any point, in any Windows 10 build

No it can't.

The amount of things you can turn off is extremely small compared to the things you can not turn off.

[hoaxy32]

Could just download and run Spybot Anti-Beacon, that'll catch and block most if not all the instances

[jagdtigger]

9 minutes ago, hoaxy32 said:

Could just download and run Spybot Anti-Beacon, that'll catch and block most if not all the instances

Not really, the only thing that can block it is a white listing HW firewall... It was proven several times that the telemetry is ignoring the hosts file.

[LAwLz]

11 minutes ago, hoaxy32 said:

Could just download and run Spybot Anti-Beacon, that'll catch and block most if not all the instances

I have not seen any evidence that Anti-Beacon actually does anything. Microsoft has changed a lot of settings so that even if they are turned off, they are still on (despite not telling the user).

There is a security researcher looking into it right now and I'll make a thread about it when his test is done and he has published his findings (assuming it is interesting, which it so far seems to be).

[Nineshadow]

I still don't get the anti-Microsoft tinfoil attitude but hey, maybe that's just me.

It's clear that Windows isn't just a product anymore, it's also a service, and telemetry data helps in improving the quality of that service, in some way or another.

 

[LAwLz]

46 minutes ago, Nineshadow said:

I still don't get the anti-Microsoft tinfoil attitude but hey, maybe that's just me.

It's clear that Windows isn't just a product anymore, it's also a service, and telemetry data helps in improving the quality of that service, in some way or another.

It's not "tinfoil-hat" if it's actually a proven fact that it is happening.

[hoaxy32]

10 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I have not seen any evidence that Anti-Beacon actually does anything. Microsoft has changed a lot of settings so that even if they are turned off, they are still on (despite not telling the user).

There is a security researcher looking into it right now and I'll make a thread about it when his test is done and he has published his findings (assuming it is interesting, which it so far seems to be).

would be very interesting to see their findings to see how deep MS are willing to go for their data capture techniques

[jagdtigger]

10 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I have not seen any evidence that Anti-Beacon actually does anything. Microsoft has changed a lot of settings so that even if they are turned off, they are still on (despite not telling the user).

There is a security researcher looking into it right now and I'll make a thread about it when his test is done and he has published his findings (assuming it is interesting, which it so far seems to be).

Even if its not so interesting you should post it in my opinion. Im curious what he will find in there .

[Foxxer]

Hmm. 

 

Wait for the next update, it will revert back again. 

I heard MS do have sniffers too. 

[ScratchCat]

It would be great if we just had an option to send telemetry data which is used to improve Windows only , not try sell me things I don't want.

I think people would be happy to send a few KB a month of bug reporting data in exchange for a more stable system.

[LAwLz]

1 hour ago, hoaxy32 said:

would be very interesting to see their findings to see how deep MS are willing to go for their data capture techniques

1 hour ago, jagdtigger said:

Even if its not so interesting you should post it in my opinion. Im curious what he will find in there .

 

I don't feel like making a thread. Here is a link though.

His writeup (not as detailed as I had hoped).

His twitter rant.

 

Summary:

Quote

Let me summarize this with a few key points:

• I made mistakes on my original testing and therefore saw more connections than I should have. But still too many connections.
• You can cut back even more using the Windows Restricted Traffic Limited Functionality Baseline but break many things.
• Settings can be set wrong if you aren’t paying attention. Also, settings are not consistent and can be confusing to beginners.
• You are opted-in to just about everything by default and have to set hundreds of settings to opt out, even on an Enterprise Windows system. Sometimes multiple settings for the same feature. Most Microsoft documentation discourages opting out and warns of a less optimal experience. It’s almost like they don’t want you to opt-out.
• But you can’t completely opt-out. Windows still tracks too much.
• Home and Professional users are much worse off due to limitations of some settings and lack of an IT staff. I’m not going to bother with captures from those systems, this has already been shared by many others. Spoiler: it’s bad.
• I’m not saying ditch Windows. I’m saying let’s fix this. If we can’t fix it, then we ditch Windows.

 

[GoodBytes]

7 minutes ago, ScratchCat said:

It would be great if we just had an option to send telemetry data which is used to improve Windows only , not try sell me things I don't want.

I think people would be happy to send a few KB a month of bug reporting data in exchange for a more stable system.

Those can be disabled.

• Open File Explorer > View > Options >  View tab > uncheck: Show sync provider information, click on OK
• Start > Settings > Privacy > General > Turn off:
  • Let apps use advertising ID...
  • Let Windows track app...
• Start > Settings > Display > Notifications & Actions > Turn off:
  • Get tips, tricks...
• Start > Settings > Personalization > Start > Turn off:
  • Occasionally show suggestions on start

The above assumes you have Creators Update installed.

[hoaxy32]

8 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

 

I don't feel like making a thread. Here is a link though.

His writeup (not as detailed as I had hoped).

His twitter rant.

 

Summary:

 

Not bad of a write-up, seems even the lengths he went to it still wasn't enough but a good start none the less. MS's tallens run deep on this one.

[NinJake]

Want privacy? Don't use the internet. (As others have stated) If this isn't an option, use linux!

 

Can't use linux either? Go find something else to complain about like why it has to rain where you live. No matter where you move, you're more than likely to still encounter rain.

[LAwLz]

15 minutes ago, NinJake said:

Want privacy? Don't use the internet. (As others have stated) If this isn't an option, use linux!

 

Can't use linux either? Go find something else to complain about like why it has to rain where you live. No matter where you move, you're more than likely to still encounter rain.

Or, complain, spread awareness and hope that things get better.

One thing is for sure, if nobody complains then things can only get worse. They won't get better by themselves.

[NinJake]

Just now, LAwLz said:

Or, complain, spread awareness and hope that things get better.

One thing is for sure, if nobody complains then things can only get worse. They won't get better by themselves.

While I am aware of "privacy concerns" regarding using the internet, if I choose to use Windows 10 (which I use), I could care less if they pull a little telemetry data to help them roll out better updates and plan for new Operating Systems using my data.

 

Why complain, when there are alternatives?

[LAwLz]

33 minutes ago, NinJake said:

While I am aware of "privacy concerns" regarding using the internet, if I choose to use Windows 10 (which I use), I could care less if they pull a little telemetry data to help them roll out better updates and plan for new Operating Systems using my data.

You couldn't care less*

If you could care less then that means you care at least a little bit, since your level of care is more than nothing.

 

It is not a little telemetry data, and we do not know if the information they collect is actually used for the sole purpose of making the system better.

 

 

34 minutes ago, NinJake said:

Why complain, when there are alternatives?

Because the alternatives have other issues. Do you not see the circular problem this creates?

 

Me: I don't like how Windows collects a massive amount of personal information about me.

You: Then use GNU/Linux!

Me: *Starts using GNU/Linux*

Me: I don't like how GNU/Linux doesn't have some programs I need.

You: Then go back to Windows if you need those programs!

Me: *Goes back to Windows*

Me: I don't like how Windows collects a massive amount of personal information about me.

You: Then use GNU/Linux!

...

 

Do you see the problem? "Don't complain, just use an alternative" would only be a valid suggestion if the alternative did not have any drawbacks, which is sadly not the case.

Since there is no perfect OS, I give criticism so that the OS I do use can improve. I raise awareness and complain because I want the OS I use to become better so that I enjoy it more.

[NinJake]

I could care less! And I'm starting to a little more... just messing with ya. I do agree with 90% of what you say. I'm just saying, I don't believe Microsoft is using the telemetry data for anything malicious, and if they are, so be it. I'm pretty sure most stuff they collect is all metadata anyways. If they were watching me enter in my social security number on a website and then track what bank I use and my credit card numbers, then I'd have a problem. But then again, in the age of the internet and our current technology, almost any method other than physically walking into the bank will "collect data". Hell, even the security cameras inside the bank could be hacked by someone malicious and capture footage of my check stubs and gather my information that way.

 

I just don't care enough about this windows 10 argument. Especially when tons of people say they stick to 7 to avoid it. I LAwLz to that.

@LAwLz

[Drak3]

4 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

we do not know if the information they collect is actually used for the sole purpose of making the system better.

Actually, we DO know that some information they collect is used to advertise/recommend through Edge, Windows Store, and sometimes the action center. It's still not quite as intrusive as Google or Facebook's advertising platform, and that can be disabled completely.

[jagdtigger]

2 minutes ago, NinJake said:

I could care less! And I'm starting to a little more... just messing with ya. I do agree with 90% of what you say. I'm just saying, I don't believe Microsoft is using the telemetry data for anything malicious, and if they are, so be it. I'm pretty sure most stuff they collect is all metadata anyways. If they were watching me enter in my social security number on a website and then track what bank I use and my credit car numbers, then I'd have a problem. But then again, in the age of the internet and our current technology, almost any method other than physically walking into the bank will "collect data". Hell, even the security cameras inside the bank could be hacked by someone malicious and capture footage of my check stubs and gather my information that way.

 

I just don't care enough about this windows 10 argument. Especially when tons of people say they stick to 7 to avoid it. I LAwLz to that.

@LAwLz

Then you have one, win10 has a built in keylogger plus it isn't hard to get the websites address that you are viewing at the time...

[NinJake]

Just now, Drak3 said:

Actually, we DO know that some information they collect is used to advertise/recommend through Edge, Windows Store, and sometimes the action center. It's still not quite as intrusive as Google or Facebook's advertising platform, and that can be disabled completely.

Personally, I only use edge to download other browsers when I can't be bothered to use my USB flash drive with various browser installers. I've used Windows Store twice to download Forza games. As for the action center I pretty much ignore anything that pops up in that notification tray since it's usually something reminding me my "gmail settings are out of date" after changing my password lol.