Windows 10 Worst Secret Spins Out Of Control - Forbes (Microsoft spying cannot be disabled)

Forbes ^ | 02/09/2016 | Gordon Kelly

[MarchonDC09122009]

Windows 10 Worst Secret Spins Out Of Control - Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2016/02/09/windows-10-data-tracking-spying-levels/?utm_campaign=yahootix&partner=yahootix#1b42bfac7aa9

Back in November Microsoft confirmed Windows 10’s worst kept secret: its extensive telemetry (or ‘spying’ as it has been labelled) cannot be stopped. What no-one realised until now, however, is just how staggering the extent of this tracking really is… 

Blowing the lid on it this week is Voat user CheesusCrust whose extensive investigation found 

*Windows 10 contacts Microsoft to report data thousands of times per day. 

And the kicker? 

*This happens after choosing a custom Windows 10 installation and disabling all three pages of tracking options which are all enabled by default.*...

[Bob434]

[[Contacting me again a Microsoft spokesperson explained the company now wanted to speak about the issue. *In short: Microsoft is taking action. It has decided to release updates later this year which will enable users to fully control all background telemetry and data tracking and, if desired, disable it completely. Microsoft also asked me to stress that disabling these background operations is something it would strongly recommend against]]

Will they allow users to pick and choose which updates we want and to allow automatic updates to be shut off too? This is a huge deal with folks-

What they told you, is it just for the enterprise edition?

[Bob434]

the anti-beacon program also works with windows 7 and 8 too

[cynwoody]

because MACs are impossible in an organization which has to show compliance.

Does JPL have to "show compliance"?

Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
during the landing of Curiosity on Mars on 5 August 2012

I stand against those who favor having to show compliance!

[driftdiver]

Then you are against security.

[kiryandil]

The question I have is that if MS does call home thousands of times per day with Windows 10, how many times does it do the same with Win 7, 8 and 8.1?

They added 3-4 patches in those older OSes which are similar snitchware.

You have to go into your control panel and de-activate the KBs that are relevant.

[kiryandil]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2978239/windows/microsoft-slips-user-tracking-tools-into-windows-7-8-amidst-windows-10-privacy-storm.html

[kiryandil]

I'd be raising merry hell if I were an IT manager. What is Redmond thinking? ...

That Redmond needs everyone on Windows 10 for some reason.

The irony is that if you DON'T go to Windows 10, you'll be an anomaly, and thus easier to track.

[CedarDave]

Thanks for the link to that article. I’ll check for those “updates” and remove them if I find them.

[cynwoody]

Then you are against security.

The first step towards information security is to banish Windoze!

[TChad]

Even after disabling spyware features, after a FORCED windows update, they reactivate some spyware features that you disabled!

Yes, as your linked video demonstrates. What Microsoft has done here is grossly unethical and should probably be illegal.

[Enlightened1]

All the reason why my next computer will be an Apple.

[dennisw]

Tracked by whom? The EN ES AY????

[TChad]

And Forbes does not like my very helpful ad blocking host file (which cannot simply be turned off).

From http://www.pcworld.com/article/2978239/windows/microsoft-slips-user-tracking-tools-into-windows-7-8-amidst-windows-10-privacy-storm.html:

Disabling the tracking tools in the Recommended KB3068708 update isn't simple, either. It connects to vortex-win.data.microsoft.com and settings-win.data.microsoft.com, which are hard-coded to bypass the Windows HOSTS file.