>>>Dirext quote: "hundreds of millions of Win10 users are opted in by default to invasive data gathering that benefits only Microsoft, not those users. All of that information is transmitted via the Internet and includes IP address information. To any nation-state security agency it would be trivial to attach that information to a real identity. If it hasn't been done already, it's only a matter of time before some such agency issues a National Security Letter or similar to compel MS to hand it over."
>>I would not call that FUD, but the harsh reality. More than once MS had to fight american agencies to safeguard data on foreign servers.
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>>I would not call that FUD, but the harsh reality. More than once MS had to fight american agencies to safeguard data on foreign servers.
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>"Invasive data gathering that benefits only Microsoft" -- FUD -- 1) Microsoft keeps a list of known malware sites. If you navigate to one, you are warned of potential dangers but not blocked from going there. 2) Much of the data gathering is telemetry on application crash data. Early versions of applications that did this were called Dr. Watson. The applications tracked was later expanded to allow third parties to get the data. This happened when Microsoft found 80% of the crashes was caused by mostly third party software. The results of the data gathering has given us more stable applications, fewer crashes, and fewer blue screens of death. The data gathering had no identifying information in it. In both these examples, it had directly benefitted the consumer.

It's ironic you'd mention the SmartScreen filter - in earlier versions of Windows you had to opt-in to it, probably because false positives could block legitimate sites. I can't remember if Win10 has made it the default. On balance that would probably be a good decision for those users who don't have access to something like NoScript on Firefox.

You're talking about beneficial technologies that have been around since Windows 7, and in some cases earlier. Let me remind you our focus is on new things in Windows 10 e.g. https://www.wired.com/2015/08/windows-10-security-settings-need-know/

Remember, all of the things mentioned there are opted-in by default. Not one user at any of my clients was aware of these settings before I pointed them out; hundreds of millions of people are getting their personal data gathered without their knowledge or permission.

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>"it's only a matter of time before some such agency issues a National Security Letter or similar to compel MS to hand it over." -- FUD -- It's not Microsoft's fault that they are ordered by a court to turn over data. It's not Microsoft's fault that they fight a government's demand for data from in-country or foreign servers. This actually supports my statement that Microsoft is keeping personal information private.

If the data aren't gathered in the first place, they can't be disclosed to 3rd parties or lost due to hacking incidents etc.

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>In the end, if you think Microsoft is so bad, why are you still using Microsoft products?

I only use Windows 10 where I have to; IMO Win7 strikes a much better balance of privacy and useful disclosure.

And just what sort of argument is that, anyways? I criticize otherwise decent products in the hope their makers will improve them.