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Five Privacy Issues With W10

By on August 2, 2015 8:02:49 AM from JoeUser Forums JoeUser Forums

DrJBHL

Join Date 04/2002
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The first and worst? From MS’s Privacy Policy Statement:

“We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to […] protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services.”

This (to me) says my computer now belongs to them. Sorry, this is completely unacceptable.

The second? Cortana:

“To enable Cortana to provide personalised experiences and relevant suggestions, Microsoft collects and uses various types of data, such as your device location, data from your calendar, the apps you use, data from your emails and text messages, who you call, your contacts and how often you interact with them on your device. Cortana also learns about you by collecting data about how you use your device and other Microsoft services, such as your music, alarm settings, whether the lockscreen is on, what you view and purchase, your browse and Bing search history, and more.”

Cortana will also collect your speech data, to “improve” speech recognition. Shades of the Barbie Doll. So, when does your own private MS spy stop “listening”? Does it ever?

Third: Your browser (sorry – their browser): When you sign in to W10 with an MS account, the OS will automatically sync

“some of your settings and data with Microsoft servers”. This includes “web browser history, favorites, and websites you have open” in addition to “saved app, website, mobile hotspot, and Wi-Fi network names and passwords”.

This you can change…there is a way to deactivate that in your MS account settings>”Sync your settings”. That should be set to a negative as the default, not the opposite as MS has done.

Fourth: Advertisers can use your data to send you targeted ads. To me, this is Superfish all over again. You can turn this off in Settings|Privacy and flick the first switch to “off”.

“The ads we select may be based on your current location, search query, or the content you are viewing. Other ads are targeted based on your likely interests or other information that we learn about you over time using demographic data, search queries, interests and favorites, usage data, and location data.”

Lastly (and perhaps worst of all): Your encryption key is automatically sent to your OneDrive account.

So, if OneDrive is ever breached, you’re screwed. Why? Because with device encryption turned on, Windows will automatically encrypt your drive and generate a BitLocker recovery key. This key is backed up, again automatically, onto your Microsoft OneDrive account. If someone changes your data are unrecoverable creating the ransomeware situation.

Don’t you think someone should be asking your permission to do these things? Also, I don’t know about you, but I’m not the property of some corporation, and neither is my computer.

No W10 for me, thanks very much.

Source:

http://www.alphr.com/microsoft/microsoft-windows-10/1001289/the-5-windows-10-privacy-issues-you-should-be-aware-of

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August 6, 2015 2:01:38 AM from JoeUser Forums JoeUser Forums

Quoting starkers,

Government and it's agencies haven't exactly earned the trust or respect we once held for it/them.

Once when?

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August 6, 2015 2:26:32 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting Daiwa,


Quoting starkers,

Government and it's agencies haven't exactly earned the trust or respect we once held for it/them.



Once when?

Um, back in the day when Fred Flintstone was president of the Buffalo Lodge,... or back in one million BC when Raquel Welch wore a bearskin bikini.

Nah, seriously, while graft and corruption has always been around, coppers and politicians seemed more honest and trustworthy when I was growing up... like people had a greater respect for them back then.  Unlike nowadays, where they all seem to be in it for more themselves and not the voters/public.

Anyway, I wouldn't want MS feeding those bastards personal info from my PC.... ***** know more than enough already.

 

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August 6, 2015 10:02:42 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Does this also mean MS can read your credit cards?Many big companies getting hacked by hackers and stole informations,Can MS stop hackers from steeling information from their?what if hackers trying to get the information that MS gathered from us?

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August 6, 2015 2:27:19 PM from Elemental Forums Elemental Forums

Quoting Destrohelix,

Does this also mean MS can read your credit cards?Many big companies getting hacked by hackers and stole informations,Can MS stop hackers from steeling information from their?what if hackers trying to get the information that MS gathered from us?

 

Basically, the bigger the pile of data, the juicier it is as a target for hackers. Larger data base = higher risk of hacking attempts.

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August 6, 2015 9:18:01 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

[quote who="DrJBHL" reply="41" id="3578342"]

Quoting Leo the Lion,

Doc.....10 bucks says you'll be on Windows 10 before the years end.



Please contact 1-800-BUX -4DOC with your payment (i.e. credit card) info.

Hey, if you give it and other stuff to MS for free w/o any sort of security to be shared with their cronies "Associates", why not join my "pre-pay" (i.e. gimme all your stuff for free) plan?

 

Thanks Doc. I called the number above and they told me my credit card had declined. I asked for you and they said you were out of the office at the Apple Store!!!

 




 
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August 7, 2015 1:57:23 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting Leo the Lion,


Thanks Doc. I called the number above and they told me my credit card had declined. I asked for you and they said you were out of the office at the Apple Store!!!

He wasn't at the Apple store for long, though.   Yeah, the Macbook he was trialling wanted to know his name; DOB; address; the length of his manhood and his bank account No.... so he hightailed it out of there and isn't likely to ever return.  Talk about Win 10 wanting to know the ins and outs of a cat's arse, , OSX Yosemite also wanted to know if he'd had any commiunicable  diseases or and STD's.... Sexually Transmitted Debts. 

I really don't blame him for not wanting to answer, nor for the fact he half strangled the sales assistant for not warning him, but now that Apple have his fingerprints [lifted off the keyboard] they'll know wherever he is whenever he is.  That's right, he only has to lift the toilet seat and Apple will know whenever he has to take a leak.

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August 7, 2015 12:00:13 PM from JoeUser Forums JoeUser Forums

It seemed like a decent OS, but i thought there would be issues like this. I don't think I will be switching to 10 now. Its not a total bomb like 8 and it is appealing in some ways, but I still feel better with win 7 pro and will use that, at least until it becomes obsolete, or until I feel as much confidence in a new version of windows as I do in that.

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August 7, 2015 2:05:15 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting Anthony R,

or until I feel as much confidence in a new version of windows as I do in that.

Um, Win 10 is it!  It is the last edition of Windows ever.  Instead of new editions MS will keep updating Win 10.  So yeah, you'll be with Win 7 for a long. long time.

Me, well I will upgrade to Win 10 on one of my less important machines, but I intend to disable all the 'phone home' crap while I'm assessing it for more permanent use.

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August 7, 2015 7:31:55 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting starkers,

It is the last edition of Windows ever.

You know, I saw that too.  Now I see that MS has assigned Win10 a somewhat standard expiration date on their lifecycle sheet.  I have no idea what exactly that might mean,  they continue to dazzle me with their inconsistencies.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

 

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August 7, 2015 7:51:49 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Thank you for taking the time to share your findings.  I sort of guessed that Microsoft was not really giving anything away for free, but I'm surprised that they've sunk so low.  Don't they WANT people to keep using their OS? 

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August 7, 2015 8:04:01 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting starkers,

now that Apple have his fingerprints [lifted off the keyboard] they'll know wherever he is whenever he is.

Nope...I was wearing a certain glove...so they didn't get crap. Hmmm...actually, they did. Bahaha.

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August 8, 2015 4:56:16 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting DrJBHL,


Quoting starkers,

now that Apple have his fingerprints [lifted off the keyboard] they'll know wherever he is whenever he is.



Nope...I was wearing a certain glove...so they didn't get crap. Hmmm...actually, they did. Bahaha.

Gloves wouldn't help.... they've got retina scanners that match results up with various internet profiles.... AND fingerprints.

Seriously, though, it is really disturbing how these multi-national companies [Apple. Microsoft, Google, Facebook] are going to extremes to infiltrate just about every facet of our lives... all in the name of sales and profit.  I mean, where does it stop?  It is fast approaching the time when Linux is looking good as an alternative OS.

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August 8, 2015 10:22:04 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting starkers,

Quoting Anthony R,

or until I feel as much confidence in a new version of windows as I do in that.



Um, Win 10 is it!  It is the last edition of Windows ever.  Instead of new editions MS will keep updating Win 10.  So yeah, you'll be with Win 7 for a long. long time.

Me, well I will upgrade to Win 10 on one of my less important machines, but I intend to disable all the 'phone home' crap while I'm assessing it for more permanent use.

Yes...just updated the No.3 comp to win 10....

That link to the file that handles all the spy crap....the one without the junk is junk itself....very little in the way of options.

The one with the addon junk is the one to use....far more function...

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August 8, 2015 1:16:38 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting Jafo,

That link to the file that handles all the spy crap....the one without the junk is junk itself....very little in the way of options.

The one with the addon junk is the one to use....far more function...

That's interesting!  I guess the one with the [opt out] junk is the way to go, then.  Given the reaction to this built-in spyware I imagine other developers will come out with similar proggies to get in on the action.  Yup, there's likely to be quite a variety to choose from before long.

Despite allocating a machine, I still haven't decided for sure if/when I'll install Win 10 on it  While I'm a little curious about the new and improved features... the good ones, that is, I'm happy with how I have Win 8.1 set up and don't know that I want to venture too far away from it.

Hmmm, think I'll procrastinate a while longer.

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August 23, 2015 12:40:05 PM from JoeUser Forums JoeUser Forums

MS will figure out that spying via software, where it can be easily 'seen', just ruffles too many feathers.  It'll take some collaboration, but they'll move all their spying efforts to firmware at some point.

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August 23, 2015 1:29:37 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting Daiwa,

MS will figure out that spying via software, where it can be easily 'seen', just ruffles too many feathers.  It'll take some collaboration, but they'll move all their spying efforts to firmware at some point.

I don't care what MS does with Win 10 cos I'm not likely to be using it... like the more I procrastinate the less I want it on any of my machines.

If I ever install it - and that's a big  IF -  it'll be on some inconsequential old machine that'd only get connected to the internet around update time... given there are any updates worth having.  Other than that, I'll be sticking with Win 8.1... until MS starts loading that with invasive software/firmware and fechen advertising. 

If/when that happens I'll go to Unbuntu and/or Mint or Robolinux., cos I will not tolerate being spied upon for the purpose of being targeted by unsolicited advertising.

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August 23, 2015 1:52:13 PM from JoeUser Forums JoeUser Forums

The point is new machines are/can be infected with spying capability, turned on by default, in BIOS.  Won't matter what OS you use.  MS cuts a deal with the hardware manufacturer, like the NSA most likely already has,  & the OS itself has to do nothing you can see to monitor everything you do.

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August 23, 2015 10:48:31 PM from Galactic Civilizations III Forums Galactic Civilizations III Forums

Great post Doc, I just cross posted this (giving you full credit of course) over on my Facebook for some of my friends to read.

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August 24, 2015 12:36:17 AM from Ashes of the Singularity Forums Ashes of the Singularity Forums

This is a pretty good guide. http://www.ghacks.net/2015/07/30/windows-10-and-privacy/

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August 24, 2015 1:52:56 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting Daiwa,

The point is new machines are/can be infected with spying capability, turned on by default, in BIOS.  Won't matter what OS you use.  MS cuts a deal with the hardware manufacturer, like the NSA most likely already has,  & the OS itself has to do nothing you can see to monitor everything you do.

That may be so, and I'd hazard a guess that most OEMs have it preloaded, though I've not noticed anything untoward on my little HP machine.  I just wonder how far that would go with home builds, whether or not they have the same snoop abilities.  All my desktop machines are self- built, and Windows has served me well to date, but a switch to Ubuntu or other Linux distro is very much on the cards should MS continue along its current path.

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August 24, 2015 5:20:18 AM from Galactic Civilizations III Forums Galactic Civilizations III Forums

Regarding the specific point originally brought up in the original post.

1) The Privacy Policy.  Obviously the majority of it has been removed for maximum effect but you'll find a similar policy with any USA based company that stores data.  They're basically saying that if LEO's coming knocking at the door for your data, they will give it to them.  Check your ISP, I'd put money on them having the same policy, at least for you US based viewers.  Have a website?  Ditto for your hosting company.  I know, I used to work for one.  I can't speak to other countries though.

2)  Cortana.  In other words it does EXACTLY the same thing that any other predictive system does.  Siri?  Does exactly the same thing.  Doesn't even have to be voice.  Google does the same thing for Instant Search by default.  If you don't like it, turn it off.  It's not hard.

3)  Data Syncing.  Again, EXACTLY the same thing their competition has been doing for some time now.

4)  Targeted Ads.  Again, this is old news.  Everybody is doing it.

 


 

If your privacy is that important to you, you shouldn't be on the internet.  It's that simple.  Privacy vs Convenience had a war and privacy lost some time ago.  Do these companies have "evil" reasons for doing this?  Sure.  Most corporations are driven by greed.  If they can make more money off you, they are going to.  However, these waves of anti-Windows 10 posts are ignoring the amount of features that NEED this level of invasive mining to work.  Features that the majority of Joe Public wants.  Therefore you can expect things to keep heading that direction.

For those of you riding the Microsoft is evil train, let me ask you this.  How much is your privacy worth to you?  Actually think about that, rather than just give the knee jerk reaction that my information is my own.  While in principal I agree with that statement, there's more to it than that.  Here's what I mean by that.  

Facebook, for example, does nothing of worth to me.  Therefore I have no incentive to sign up for an account and give them access to my data.  Pretty straight forward.  We can put a little check mark in that privacy box.

Cortana/Siri.  Things start getting a little grayer here.  If I'm on vacation, I like being able to pull out my mobile device and ask it to find a restaurant and be greeted with results in the right physical area rather than find somewhere to park, pull over, and do a manual search for locations in whatever city I'm in which are going to be somewhat inaccurate anyways.  That requires access to my location at a minimum.  In order for that system to work well, it needs an ever expanding sample of both raw data and voice sample's itself.  Is having my phone's OS know where I am worth that added convenience?  I'm willing to bet that for the vast majority of people, the answer to that is yes.

Data Syncing.  Again, this isn't so cut and dry for the majority of people.  If you're the type that takes a lot of pictures or video with your phone, having it automatically backed up is a feature most people would like.  On a PC, many people pay for software to do that for them.  Remember, iCloud got hacked.  How many people do you think stopped using it after that?  I'll bet it was almost nobody.  At least not after the first time they lost an ever so important selfie or picture of their cat.  Ditto for the more personal information like contacts.  Most people LOVE having their contacts automatically synced across multiple devices.  Tell people they can buy a new phone and it will automatically have all their contacts on it?  Most people will love it.  Regarding specifically the Bitlocker aspect, that's along the same lines as the WiFi sense argument that was made in a different thread.  OK, IF OneDrive is hacked, somebody will have access to your Bitlocker key.  OK, now what?  They don't have the computer the key belongs to, so what exactly is this doing for them?  So, is having Microsoft have access to my data worth it in exchange for free automatic backups?  Again, for the vast majority, the answer is going to be yes.

The only way you're going to have true data privacy is if you unplug and live in a box.  We live in a day where nearly everything is available in "Smart" form.  Things like home automation rely on having access to information like your location and schedule to work.  Most people see this thing as "the future".

I'd also put money on most of you not being nearly as secure as you think you are.  

I've upgraded 4 computers at the house to 10 and don't regret it in the slightest.

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August 24, 2015 9:58:20 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting XavierMace,

Facebook, for example, does nothing of worth to me. Therefore I have no incentive to sign up for an account and give them access to my data. Pretty straight forward. We can put a little check mark in that privacy box.

Yes, Facebook is something people can easily just NOT BOTHER WITH.  Its sole reason for existing [on-selling data-mined information] can be avoided.

A computer's OS is an entirely different matter.

People simply CANNOT avoid having at least 'something' with an OS on it.

With Microsoft's fetishistic obsession with new and sexy ways to access your inside leg measurement et al, it's painfully obvious there are going to be concerns/needs to opt out from at least SOME if not ALL of the 'new and improved' bullshit features that are a double-edged sword, nothing more.

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August 24, 2015 5:37:09 PM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting XavierMace,

The only way you're going to have true data privacy is if you unplug and live in a box.

Not exactly!  I have oodles of data stored on external drives that are connected to a standalone PC which is not net enabled.

As for the targeted ads, if they were opt in it'd be more acceptable, but enabled by default in Win 10, not on, not on any machine of mine, not ever.  I go to great lengths to avoid advertising on my PCs, TV, everywhere, so they've go a snowball's chance in hell of getting me to sign up for it.

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August 25, 2015 2:39:13 AM from Galactic Civilizations III Forums Galactic Civilizations III Forums

So you're saying you don't have any data that's not stored on that standalone PC and that PC is never hooked up to a network?

And I'd agree on the targeted ads.  I'd prefer all of these option default to off.  But they CAN be turned off.  Deciding not to upgrade just because you have to turn something off is just silly.

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August 25, 2015 11:34:24 AM from WinCustomize Forums WinCustomize Forums

Quoting XavierMace,

So you're saying you don't have any data that's not stored on that standalone PC and that PC is never hooked up to a network

Yes, I obviously have some data on net connected machines, but all that stuff I want to be personal [documents, photos and family stuff] I keep on the externals connected to the non-net enabled machine. If for any reason I need to connect it for updates, etc, I just unplug the drives until I'm done.... hence the externals rather than internal HDDs.

Quoting XavierMace,

And I'd agree on the targeted ads. I'd prefer all of these option default to off. But they CAN be turned off. Deciding not to upgrade just because you have to turn something off is just silly.

It doesn't matter where you look these days, advertising executives have plastered ads on just about every unused place - on taxis, buses, trucks and trains; on billboards beside every road and highway; on the sides of buildings everywhere; plastered across and throughout every magazine and newspaper; on every TV and radio station.  For mine, the ****s have more than enough exposure without paying Microsoft to deliver even more unwanted crap down my throat.  I want my PC to be free of all and any commercial crap unless I subscribe to selected traders, etc.  Everything else is unwelcome!

As for not upgrading to Win 10, it is not entirely because of advertising, though a significant enough deterrent.  No, it's more about the snooping and prying into personal files and folders, sharing that information with 3rd parties and using MY resources for purposes not benefiting me... and that's not silly.   My sister recently told me that while she was upgrading to Win 10, a download of 3gb, 11.6gb was uploaded as well.  She states that nothing else was uploaded during that time and that her broadband service was reduced to dialup speed for 3 days because her 100gb per month quota expired sooner than was budgeted for.  That is serious shit and tantamount to theft.

So in principle, my refusal to upgrade to Win 10 is just that, a matter of principle.... not wanting to be caught up in the commercial bullshit MS has decided to engage in to betray its loyal customers, of whom, most are totally oblivious to the fact they are no longer OS licensees but data mines and commercial guinea pigs to profit yet another company that's [now more than ever] driven by sheer greed.  I have boycotted a number of companies and products because of greed and unethical practices in the past and morally I'll continue to do so... because I can.

Oh, and about turning off all these nasty features, who's to say MS can't reactivate them remotely?   I was revealed that Samsung could reactivate voice controls on TVs remotely when customers turned them off over privacy concerns... and being these 'features' and their intent are documented in the EULA, Microsoft could well argue it is entitled to... or disable the OS if users repeatedly turn them off.  At the end of the day MS thinks it has everyone by the short n' curlies because Mac is way too expensive, Linux has too steep a learning curve and Win 10 is the last edition ever.  Well not this black duck!  I can and will turn to Linux when Win 8.1 is either too compromised or becomes unsupported/obsolete.

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