From what I've read, most of the data that Microsoft sends is pretty harmless.
I really don't care if Microsoft tracks what I do within its apps, as long as specifics are kept out. Want to know how often I use a brush in MS Paint? Fine. Want to know what file I'm using it on, and they want to save it to their servers? No. Even basic information like the amount of RAM a computer has, what CPU it owns and its clock speed, and the GPU a user is using isn't going to really give everything away - unless they're taking in serial numbers or something. Diagnostic information isn't really that valuable to people not working on the apps that they're collecting data on, because most of the time they only send information important to performance and stability. A lot of people like to go nuts and assume Microsoft is using their boot times to figure out that they're part of some Illuminati hacker org or something, but the data that they collect (from what I've seen) is pretty boring and anonymous.
Even then, if you value privacy to the point that you don't even want to send diagnostic info, just use Linux.
See, this is how we lose privacy. Every incremental little infringement is being justified as harmless, until the scope of the information gathered, although unfathomable a decade earlier, is now perceived as harmless.
I mean, is there any concrete evidence that all this diagnostic info is leading to better uptime and service? Is there evidence that this data is being protected adequately and not shared with surveillance agencies?
By default Windows 10 Home is allowed to control your bandwidth usage, install any software it wants whenever it wants (without providing detailed information on what these updates do), display ads in the Start Menu (currently it has been limited to app advertisements), send your hardware details and any changes you make to Microsoft and even log your browser history and keystrokes which the Windows End User Licence Agreement (EULA) states you allow Microsoft to use for analysis.
Windows sound more like a virus those digital afterschool specials warned me about.
- allowed to control your bandwidth usage
Besides that every OS is able to do that, remember that this EULA is also for tablets and phones. Within the context of a phone, that part makes way more sense.
- install any software it wants whenever it wants
This is about the Windows Store and app ecosystem and probably the most problematic point on that list.
It has to be there in order for them to be allowed to install stuff like the xbox companion app to connect to a local xbox without extra steps for the user.
It does pose an obvious problem in terms of power users though.
- display ads in the Start Menu
I am not quite sure about the relevance of this point.
This might be only for the "Windows with Bing" thingy, though I am not entirely sure about it. Stuff got sort of quiet around Windows with Bing.
- send your hardware details and any changes you make to Microsoft
This is a part of their licensing mechanism.
- even log your browser history and keystrokes
As explained before, this only concerns the modern UI apps, IE and Edge.
While a lot of this sounds very alarming, it is mostly standard corporate cover you ass policy. Also, every commercial OS with an app store has very similar things in their EULAs. OSX has pretty much the same and most (if not all) commercial Android distros do as well.
From what I've read, most of the data that Microsoft sends is pretty harmless.
I really don't care if Microsoft tracks what I do within its apps, as long as specifics are kept out. Want to know how often I use a brush in MS Paint? Fine. Want to know what file I'm using it on, and they want to save it to their servers? No. Even basic information like the amount of RAM a computer has, what CPU it owns and its clock speed, and the GPU a user is using isn't going to really give everything away - unless they're taking in serial numbers or something. Diagnostic information isn't really that valuable to people not working on the apps that they're collecting data on, because most of the time they only send information important to performance and stability. A lot of people like to go nuts and assume Microsoft is using their boot times to figure out that they're part of some Illuminati hacker org or something, but the data that they collect (from what I've seen) is pretty boring and anonymous.
Even then, if you value privacy to the point that you don't even want to send diagnostic info, just use Linux.
When ‘diagnostic info’ includes anything being said, typed, browsed, called or run, we’re begun to stretch the credibility of that term.
See, this is how we lose privacy. Every incremental little infringement is being justified as harmless, until the scope of the information gathered, although unfathomable a decade earlier, is now perceived as harmless.
I mean, is there any concrete evidence that all this diagnostic info is leading to better uptime and service? Is there evidence that this data is being protected adequately and not shared with surveillance agencies?
But what about this bullshit?
Windows sound more like a virus those digital afterschool specials warned me about.
- allowed to control your bandwidth usage
Besides that every OS is able to do that, remember that this EULA is also for tablets and phones. Within the context of a phone, that part makes way more sense.
- install any software it wants whenever it wants
This is about the Windows Store and app ecosystem and probably the most problematic point on that list.
It has to be there in order for them to be allowed to install stuff like the xbox companion app to connect to a local xbox without extra steps for the user.
It does pose an obvious problem in terms of power users though.
- display ads in the Start Menu
I am not quite sure about the relevance of this point.
This might be only for the "Windows with Bing" thingy, though I am not entirely sure about it. Stuff got sort of quiet around Windows with Bing.
- send your hardware details and any changes you make to Microsoft
This is a part of their licensing mechanism.
- even log your browser history and keystrokes
As explained before, this only concerns the modern UI apps, IE and Edge.
While a lot of this sounds very alarming, it is mostly standard corporate cover you ass policy. Also, every commercial OS with an app store has very similar things in their EULAs. OSX has pretty much the same and most (if not all) commercial Android distros do as well.