Love this article! I've also been baffled by the reactions of some people in regards to privacy concerns. Google did something in the same vein recently. In email, they have a screen that asks if you want them to follow you around and take note of each website you're on that has Google ads on them. If you hit the big highlighted button, the answer was that you wanted them to follow you around. If you wanted to opt out, you had to hit the tiny words that said "more options" and choose between 3 choices that were all vague. None said simply opt out. One of the arguments I've seen for why Microsoft is getting away with so many privacy invasions is that everyone else is doing it, and no one expects privacy anymore. I hope people are wrong about that. I think Microsoft feels that its OS is so integrated into people's systems that they'll just stop noticing. In some ways, they may be right. I had a Windows 7 operating system when all this controversy happened. It crashed, so I had to get a new computer. It now has Window 10 on it. It is too much of a hassle to change out this OS. I've done all the privacy selection I can on set-up, but it's clear that it's not much. I'm just hoping that some of the lawsuits will be effective or that changing OS will become a lot more user-friendly.Time after time, with each update, Microsoft chose to employ questionable tactics to cause users to download a piece of software that many didn’t want.
Otherwise, Microsoft may find that it has inadvertently discovered just how far it can push its users before they abandon a once-trusted company for a better, more privacy-protective solution.
You are probably aware of it, but to be safe here are some of the privacy tweaks you could do in addition: Article that talks about traffic blocking in Windows 10 and uses DisableWinTracking application. I've also seen one article that talks about disabling hosts from the system itself. I don't have source, but I have the instructions I've copied to help one person: 1. Open your host file located in this directory C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc file in Notepad or other text editor of your choice. 2. Add following lines to the file: 0.0.0.0 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 redir.metaservices.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net 0.0.0.0 telemetry.urs.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net:443 0.0.0.0 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com 3. Save file. 0.0.0.0 vortex.data.microsoft.com
Check your network traffic if you can. I read somewhere that the telemetry bypasses/ignores the hosts file and needs blocking at the router. I've no way to verify that though as I don't have 10 installed and I've removed as much of the backported telemetry stuff in Win7/8.
That's a really good point, especially to check the difference before and after applying some changes. jadedog - if you would have trouble with this, I can guide you to some extent about what you need to do in Wireshark (great and free program to check network traffic) to test it. This article is a rather concise description, but if you would need some help than feel free to ask me. Although I think that it could better serve people if it would be kept open. Plus I would be really surprised if I would be the only one who can help (or provide best direction for that matter) ;).Check your network traffic if you can. I read somewhere that the telemetry bypasses/ignores the hosts file and needs blocking at the router.
Sure, but that does not mean I can't try to help 'staunch the bleeding' so to speak. Although I don't deny that it's more than likely that any such links can simply bypass host file by either built-in exception that takes precedence or by simply hardcoding them into system. Mainly guess on my part though, I have never intended to either make people think that that's an absolute fix nor make them extra paranoid. Either way, Windows 10 is not even adjacent to my problems. Debian on one computer, Mint on the other and OpenWRT on the router ;).
As a regular Windows 10 user, I wouldn't have even thought of it. I only went for third-party privacy enablers/stuff cutters because they were often mentioned online. It's not that I don't care about privacy: it's that I can't be bothered about it. It doesn't stare me in the face. I think a lot of people who use Windows on their PCs follow the same line.I think Microsoft feels that its OS is so integrated into people's systems that they'll just stop noticing. In some ways, they may be right.