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Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

extremetech.com

1–10 of 184 posts

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#2
How will this affect GNU/Linux? They mention an installer and a yes/no prompt, which to me implies Windows. If it can be disabled, I suppose distro packagers will likely make the choice for the user when they create the package. Or is this a driver that would be included in the kernel itself?

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#3
This is definitely not what I'd be ready to approve:

"Intel provides a long list of the types of data it collects" ... "Those include the types of websites you visit, which Intel says are dumped into 30 categories and logged without URLs or information that identifies you, including how long and how often you visit certain types of sites."

Emphasis mine. I surely don't expect that from a GPU driver company. Damn.

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#4
What is the thought process that goes into thinking such a thing is a good idea, then proposing it, arguing for it, and then it being approved (presumably) by product managers and executives?

It's just a downward spiral at this point as each new generation of software and each new year brings a worse and worse privacy default with even more self-justification and half-assed anonymization.

Drivers need to know website usage statistics. Are we really here now?

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#5
post #4

What is the thought process that goes into thinking such a thing is a good idea, then proposing it, arguing for it, and then it being approved (presumably) by product managers and executives? It's just a downward spiral at this point as each new generation of software and each new year brings a worse and worse privacy default with even more self-justification and half-assed anonymization. Drivers need to know website…

The process that is motivated by profits. Here’s the thing. It not only got approved but it almost certainly got some people promoted.

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#6
post #3

This is definitely not what I'd be ready to approve: "Intel provides a long list of the types of data it collects" ... "Those include the types of websites you visit , which Intel says are dumped into 30 categories and logged without URLs or information that identifies you, including how long and how often you visit certain types of sites. " Emphasis mine. I surely don't expect that from a GPU driver company. Damn.

[flagged]

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#7
post #3

This is definitely not what I'd be ready to approve: "Intel provides a long list of the types of data it collects" ... "Those include the types of websites you visit , which Intel says are dumped into 30 categories and logged without URLs or information that identifies you, including how long and how often you visit certain types of sites. " Emphasis mine. I surely don't expect that from a GPU driver company. Damn.

I surely wouldn't call Intel a "GPU driver company" (like how I'd call American Megatrends a BIOS/Firmware company), but rather a Processor company that is also making drivers (but that is neither here nor there).

This is still so weird of them (not weird in the sense I wouldn't put it past them, but weird in a sense that someone even had the idea), even if they make it optional. Like, I don't care if you want to use that information to try to make better drivers by knowing which sites break the GPU, I will report that to you if I feel so inclined to it.

I'd understand if it were "We wanna know what programs are using hardware acceleration", but it's not limited to that...

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#8
post #3

This is definitely not what I'd be ready to approve: "Intel provides a long list of the types of data it collects" ... "Those include the types of websites you visit , which Intel says are dumped into 30 categories and logged without URLs or information that identifies you, including how long and how often you visit certain types of sites. " Emphasis mine. I surely don't expect that from a GPU driver company. Damn.

So depending on the categories it would potentially not be sensationalist to say “Intel GPU drivers are recording how much you watch porn”. And this potentially covers a lot of people if integrated video is covered by the same drivers. I suspect I won’t be the only person to adopt a principled position and avoid Intel devices from now on after a lifetime of choosing only Intel.

How are we 2023 and there still not legal protections against this sort of thing. It’s basically the tech version of peeping tom.

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#9
post #3

This is definitely not what I'd be ready to approve: "Intel provides a long list of the types of data it collects" ... "Those include the types of websites you visit , which Intel says are dumped into 30 categories and logged without URLs or information that identifies you, including how long and how often you visit certain types of sites. " Emphasis mine. I surely don't expect that from a GPU driver company. Damn.

So depending on the categories it would potentially not be sensationalist to say “Intel GPU drivers are recording how much you watch porn”. And this potentially covers a lot of people if integrated video is covered by the same drivers. I suspect I won’t be the only person to adopt a principled position and avoid Intel devices from now on after a lifetime of choosing only Intel. How are we 2023 and there still not leg…

My understanding is that Nvidia GPUs require GeForce Experience to enable all of the advertised features, which also includes telemetry that tracks your windows and URLs.

Only one good player remains.

Re: Intel's GPU Drivers Now Collect Telemetry, Including 'How You Use Your Computer'

#10
post #4

What is the thought process that goes into thinking such a thing is a good idea, then proposing it, arguing for it, and then it being approved (presumably) by product managers and executives? It's just a downward spiral at this point as each new generation of software and each new year brings a worse and worse privacy default with even more self-justification and half-assed anonymization. Drivers need to know website…

The process that is motivated by profits. Here’s the thing. It not only got approved but it almost certainly got some people promoted.

Add to this a total and utter lack of any interest from any political parties with any chance of being elected to govern a country.

User-hostility in the privacy realm is open slather. It's (more than?) likely to be encouraged by political parties because they can buy and use the data for their, inarguably worse for society, constituent-hostile political gaming.

The pirates are the corporates and there is no law under which the pillaged can seek protection.

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