Windows 10 shows users what data it collects and phones in
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With Windows Insider build 17083, Microsoft responded to criticism about transparency by adding a 'Diagnostic Data Viewer' app to the OS for beta users to try out.
Microsoft last week gave Windows 10 testers a peek at an app that shows exactly what diagnostic data the company collects from customers and transmits to its own servers.
The issue of Windows 10's telemetry has dogged the operating system since its debut, with critics taking Microsoft to task for over-zealously harvesting information, for refusing to describe what data it collects, and for preventing customers from opting out.
With the release of Windows Insider build 17083 on Jan. 24, Microsoft addressed the criticism about transparency by putting an app, named "Diagnostic Data Viewer," into the hands of beta participants.
"The Diagnostic Data Viewer is a Windows app that lets you review the diagnostic data your device is sending to Microsoft, grouping the info into simple categories based on how it's used by Microsoft," wrote Dona Sarkar, a software engineer in the company's Windows and Devices group, and the spokeswoman for the Insiders program. Although currently available only to Insiders, the viewer is scheduled to appear in the next Windows 10 feature upgrade, set to launch in March or perhaps early April, and likely identified in Microsoft's yymm format as 1803.
The Diagnostic Data Viewer could be downloaded from the Microsoft Store here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/diagnostic-data-view... , the authorized source of Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. Only those running Windows 10 build 17083 or later were able to successfully install the app.
Prease to read more here:
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3251722/microsoft-wind...
Ok
Quote from article: "Microsoft recommends that users turn off the viewer when they're done examining the data, as the act of collection can consume up to 1GB of storage space on the device."
And, still no way to opt out of the collection yet. But I have to wonder what MS will do in the EU?
The bottom line is still how much personal data is sent to MS and how much is system diagnostics? And what is MS doing with the personal data that has nothing to do with maintaining the OS?
Of course MS is probably not getting as much of your personal data and habits as Google collects.
Ah, the "information age" is really the "lack of privacy age".
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.
Don't forget Facebook
All these Tech Companies are or will be getting big money Government contracts to keep us in line!
Disable
This is the first thing I recommend anyone to do is to disable telemetry from microsoft in windows 10.
The only way to do that it's
The only way to do that it's disconnect your PC from the, permanently!
Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267
Only Enterprise users can
Only Enterprise users can turn it off.
For everybody else, you can turn off some settings, but not all will be disabled or turned off. You gotta live with it.
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.
Ahhh, Windows 2000...
Sigh
Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.
SpyBot Anti-Beacon
It's not just Windows 10. In recent patches MS has enabled telemetry in both Win7 and Win8 as well.
Get the free SpyBot Anti-Beacon and reclaim some of your privacy:
https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/
Or, switch to Linux:
https://getfedora.org/
https://linuxmint.com/
http://www.pclinuxos.com/
Don't bother with Ubuntu, as Canonical has been accused of similar shenanigans in the past.
I would recommend caution
I would recommend caution using SpyBot. It has a past reputation of not getting along with various mainstream anti-virus programs.
Personally I would not add it to any of my systems.
There are other steps you can take on a W7 system to reduce the telemetry. The problem most will have is if they let Windows Update install the telemetry patches from last year. But you still can reduce the info. Lots of "reads" on the web how to do this without installing more third-party software.
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.
SpyBot Products
About a decade ago, SpyBot Search & Destroy (v1.6.2) was a pretty good tool. Newer versions are not as good. Lavasoft's Ad-Aware was another necessity to combat the spyware/malware menace. Nowadays, I don't bother with either of them anymore.
I've had pretty good luck with Anti-Beacon on the Win10 systems I've needed to lock down. What problems have you encountered with Anti-Beacon?
Anti-beacon
I run Anti-Beacon with Norton and have had no problems. Like most, I'm not sure how much good it's doing, but every little bit helps I suppose.