Live data from Hacker News

Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

hakspek.com

141–150 of 289 posts

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#141
post #52

What an unbelievable lack of respect and a big FU to Microsoft's own customers. At least using Windows 10 is a choice (I think - do they force it on Windows 7 machines?), but to do this to all existing customers - wow, just wow. Behold everyone - this is the "new" Microsoft, worse than it ever was.

> I think - do they force it on Windows 7 machines?

No, but they keep nagging you every time you turn your computer on.

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#142
post #2

2016 is the year of desktop linux. For the kind of people who care about this sort of thing. Also puts "Scroogle" into perspective.

First, the website is down. Second there is always overblown paranoia that runs with every release of Windows. I wish if EFF or atleast ArsTechnica would cover so atleast it will be a proving point for these independent blogs. For all I know is that these updates could be for someone who has already signed up for "Sent diagnostics to Microsoft for product improvement" on their existing Windows. Else it has to be the dumbest spyware that comes with a release note, description and a self describing name.

>2016 is the year of desktop linux.

I don't care if it is Linux, Apple or Windows. As long as someone can guarantee a certain degree of usability and a common sense of privacy, I wouldn't mind switching. However at this point where even open source is taking a nose dive (eg: "Ubuntu and Amazon Search", "Chrome and proprietary blobs", "Firefox with Hello and Pocket"), I am not sure anymore. If it keeps up this rate, in the future people might look back and see privacy as a silly idea /sad.

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#143
post #137
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is any of this verified? During a previous posting of this it was largely dismissed as propaganda [1]. If someone has reproduced these findings that would be very interesting. What would be even more interesting would be for someone to intercept the spying data that is being sent back so we know for sure what's being sent. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10053420

[deleted]

Errrrr, are you saying that if someone is making up random accusations which are not true, we should treat them the same as facts?

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#144
post #68

People who use their google accounts and Chrome ubiquitously already get spied on by GA at a much bigger scale through all the sites they visit in their browser. Why is it a big uproar when it happens at the OS level? Seems like it's pretty much the same thing. We always have the option of using Linux if we don't like it.

> People who use their google accounts and Chrome

whataboutism and has nothing to do with a current discussion. Chrome the browser is not an operating system.

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#145

So I just started my windows and it seems that I am 'infected' with this anti-privacy stuff. How do I get rid of it? Re-install from the installation disk and disable updates, or can I still remove the updates?

You can remove updates via the control panel.

But does that really work in this case? It seems as if these new privacy things go pretty deep.

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#146
post #137
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is any of this verified? During a previous posting of this it was largely dismissed as propaganda [1]. If someone has reproduced these findings that would be very interesting. What would be even more interesting would be for someone to intercept the spying data that is being sent back so we know for sure what's being sent. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10053420

[deleted]

>Does this even need to be verified ?

Of course not. We should make blind, fear-based assumptions about businesses and reject the "rudder of rationality", so that we can be blown about by the winds of whatever viral fearmongering hits the top of our feeds for the day!!

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#147

I submitted a story to Boing Boing (at http://boingboing.net/2015/08/10/windows-10.html ) about the weird experience I had after upgrading my son's laptop from Windows 8.1 to 10. We did this on a Saturday, and Monday morning I had a "family safety report" email from Microsoft detailing which websites he'd visited, which apps he'd used (and for how long), etc. since the upgrade . According to Microsoft's Family Safety…

Abusive parents are going to love this.

(And that's terrifying.)

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can remove updates via the control panel.

But does that really work in this case? It seems as if these new privacy things go pretty deep.

I'm not sure. I have seen spam that has unsubscribe buttons that actually work, as well as adware that uninstalls properly from the control panel.

I hope Windows doesn't do worse than spammers and malware programmers.

Re: Updates Make Windows 7 and 8 Spy on You Like Windows 10

#150
I've seen a lot of posts about people worrying about personal privacy, as they should be! Right now I'm actually curious about the business implications. Is data going back to Microsoft? Should we be banning Windows for developers, finance, customer support? I'm worried about personally identifiable information (PII) leaking out of our company. Also developers still handle credentials with access to production systems, AWS, sometimes SSL certs. This data cannot be sent out of the network. What is the impact for businesses?
Post reply on HN