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

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

#171
post #162
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember some months ago where they only claimed fixing something minor (like, something that's not even an executable but some text-based or at least data file) in the patch and the list included also a huge amount of files including cryptwhatever.dll (not the actual name). "Backdoor time" thought I. As little as I checked however, it didn't look like a real smoking gun then. It seems a common practice somehow tha…

It would be interesting to see what someone knowledgable would report back on by taking something like zynamics bindiff onto pre- and post this KB.

I've never seen the proof of the claims from the article discussed here three days ago:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10099180

"Information transmitted: All text typed on the keyboard is stored in temporary files, and sent (once per 30 mins) to: oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net pre.footprintpredict.com reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com"

On another side, MSFT never issued the statement what they actually collect, probably because their lawyers will need a month or two to clear that up.

If the quote is true, it's a real full-blown keylogger. It's hard to believe. But there should be the pressure to find out the truth.

The worst thing is that it seems the users also don't care.

Do read kstrauser's top post in this discussion regarding automatic snooping of kids and emailing the parents, implemented by MSFT in Windows 10.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10111271

He posted the snapshot later. Unbelievable. But it seems they really do this. Built in spying, then sending reports by e-mail.

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

#172

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.)

Also think what impact it's gonna have on organization. Would they have access to everything an employee types? Any website they visit?

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

#173
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Abusive parents are going to love this. (And that's terrifying.)

Also parents who's kids accidentally stumble upon a site for predators. It's a tool that can be used for good or bad, but will depend on the parents.

That's true, but I can't justify this being enabled by default. As something parents can turn on if they feel they need to, sure, but not like this.

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

#175

I think it's time that we don't ask of users to protect themselves by reading hundreds of pages of EULAs, and then ostracising themselves from mainstream electronics use (both at home, as well as at work) because they refuse to use software that's loaded with insane levels of spyware (record and transfer all voice and every keystroke). That's a large burden. It's perhaps time this becomes a legal matter rather than p…

My UK govt. is trying the backdoor / ban all encryption and is complicit in our "security services" getting unfettered access to citizen data. As was the previous govt. And all govts before it, and all govts in all countries.

Getting them to enact and defend the opposite will take a Herculean effort to make the citizens aware, let alone care.

I despair.

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

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Abusive parents are going to love this. (And that's terrifying.)

I know, right? A kid thinks they're safely researching things that are important to them, but that's not at all true. Statistically, it's almost certain that a kid somewhere has been beaten because of what their parents read in that report. When we're developing new features, we have to take into account ways they'll be twisted and abused. If anyone evaluated this before its development, and they were intellectually…

And beaten isn't even the worst of it. Kids are sometimes made homeless, or in some (rarer, more often non-Western) cases, murdered.

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

#177
post #20

Brilliant, 2 options I see Never do updates again (which is what I will be doing this evening) and make system perm insecure Or let MS and the NSA rape me for even more data than they already have Go [insert abusive word] yourself Microsoft and to think just last week I got a 3rd windows 7 license because I was planning to stay on 7 long term and not upgrade to 10. Steam hopefully will push linux gaming that i can fi…

If Steam OS becomes a viable desktop gaming OS that plays most, if not all games, I'll drop Windows in a heartbeat.

Will games that run on Steam OS be compatible with regular linux ?

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

#178
post #96

Here is a more in-depth analysis of windows 10 and what is sent to MS http://aeronet.cz/news/analyza-windows-10-ve-svem-principu-j... For those who don't speak Czech: -It sends all text you type anywhere (not just into search) every 30 minutes to MS. If you type about a holiday to your blog, next day you'll see holiday ads. -Every 30 minutes it sends your geo-location and network information. -If you type a telephone…

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

Well, seeing that 80 MB every 15 minutes is over 35 Tb/s (at only 50 million Win 10 users [1]), and 12 Tb/s was the reigning speed record...

[1] http://www.winbeta.org/news/there-are-now-over-50-million-pe...

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

#179

Here is a more in-depth analysis of windows 10 and what is sent to MS http://aeronet.cz/news/analyza-windows-10-ve-svem-principu-j... For those who don't speak Czech: -It sends all text you type anywhere (not just into search) every 30 minutes to MS. If you type about a holiday to your blog, next day you'll see holiday ads. -Every 30 minutes it sends your geo-location and network information. -If you type a telephone…

That's a security nightmare.

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

#180

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.)

I wonder how long until Microsoft has that Target moment[1] and tells a father that his daughter is pregnant. I also wonder what happens if someones medical information leaks via this data gathering.

1) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.h...

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