Stop Windows 10 "spying" on you

[Batu69]

Time to address the most popular question landing in the Hardware 2.0 mailbag: "How do I stop Windows 10 spying on me?"

Time to address the most popular question landing in the Hardware 2.0 mailbag:

"How do I stop Windows 10 spying on me?"

Before I begin I want to address the word "spying." Despite some of the more hyperbolic headlines and articles you might have come across, there is no evidence to suggest that Microsoft is using this data to actively spying on anyone. The data that's being collected is being used to make Microsoft products and services better, and crazy claims aside, no one has been able to produce a shred of evidence to the contrary. This is why I've put the word spying in quotation marks in the title, and I'm only using this word because this is the word most commonly used by those concerned by this issue.

If you ask me if you be worried about using Windows 10, my answer would be a "no." I have several Windows 10 installations here and I'm not concerned.

But despite such reassurances there are a lot of people who are concerned by this, and the fact that Microsoft isn't willing to give concerned users a way to opt out from data collection (which I think is a bad idea) is adding fuel to the flames.

Another problem is that all this hysteria is making people go out and look for tools and utilities to put a brakes on Microsoft being able to collect data from their PCs, and some of the tools out there are, well, shady at best. I've come across a number of "Windows 10 privacy tools" from unknown sources that do who knows what. Some tools actively display ads, and one even installs a third-party tool that displays ads in other applications.

Talk about taking what is a non-issue and blowing it up into a real problem! No self-respecting privacy tool should install adware onto a system. Period.

If you really need to block Windows 10 from sending telemetry data back to Microsoft then the utility I recommend you use is Spybot Anti-Beacon. It's a one-click solution (along with an undo button in case things don't go as you planned) from a known developer that's been in the privacy business since 2000. And there's no adware!

I've tested this tool on a number of systems and it seems to do what it says it does on the tin, and nothing more.

I want to reiterate that I don't believe that there's a need for anyone to do this because there's no evidence to suggest that Microsoft is doing anything evil with the data. But if you just want to opt out, this is a safe way to do that.

Article source

[steven36]

This totally just opinion of ZDnet Even Microsoft admits its spying on people. So what ZDnet want people too do just make like it don't exist and just let M$ spy on them like its OK . Just ignore the problem and it magically go away on its own? :s Out of all these tools I know of there's only like one that uses open candy adware .

Some considered that reporting to be little more than fanciful conspiracy theories and exaggerations.

With recent admissions from the Redmond, Washington, software giant, however, it is now clear that those reports were accurate and that Windows 10 — as an operating system — is spyware.

[jamesDDI]

This totally just opinion of ZDnet Even Microsoft admits its spying on people. So what ZDnet want people too do just make like it don't exist and just let M$ spy on them like its OK . Just ignore the problem and it magically go away on its own? :s Out of all these tools I know of there's only like one that uses open candy adware .

Some considered that reporting to be little more than fanciful conspiracy theories and exaggerations.

With recent admissions from the Redmond, Washington, software giant, however, it is now clear that those reports were accurate and that Windows 10 — as an operating system — is spyware.

W10 is a SPYWARE, but these tools are the only choice for who want use this "new" system i think ..

[steven36]

This totally just opinion of ZDnet Even Microsoft admits its spying on people. So what ZDnet want people too do just make like it don't exist and just let M$ spy on them like its OK . Just ignore the problem and it magically go away on its own? :s Out of all these tools I know of there's only like one that uses open candy adware .

Some considered that reporting to be little more than fanciful conspiracy theories and exaggerations.

With recent admissions from the Redmond, Washington, software giant, however, it is now clear that those reports were accurate and that Windows 10 — as an operating system — is spyware.

W10 is a SPYWARE, but these tools are the only choice for who want use this "new" system i think ..

You have a choice you can use process lasso and blacklist most of the services not to run or disable them altogether and just use a firewall . OR use tools that do this kind of thing . Ive not seen no one tool that could really block everything so maybe more than one plus a firewall is needed ? Just blocking everything off with a good firewall can stop it calling home though. Just who needs services they don't use to run? Only problem with Windows I see are they scanning you're PC from and when you do windows updates ?

Windows 7 and and Windows 8.1 has spyware too if you install the updates meaning the masses are being spied on too . I say 80% don't know any better or just don't care like the person who wrote the article in the OP .

I've tested this tool on a number of systems and it seems to do what it says it does on the tin, and nothing more.

I want to reiterate that I don't believe that there's a need for anyone to do this because there's no evidence to suggest that Microsoft is doing anything evil with the data. But if you just want to opt out, this is a safe way to do that.

He admits all through his article that he don't believe M$ is really spying on you ..So why would you take advice from a person who believe it isn't so?

You know if you jump off a bridge with no water you most likely will die . If someone told you it was safe would you do what they said and jump off ? :lol:

[Holmes]

You quoted your thread that you started that actually wasnt the original f3d posted the original and microsoft admitted you cant stop the data collection they didnt say they "spy" per se. The article is correct there isnt one shred of evidence to suggest microsoft is using the data collected to be evil to spy on you I agree that doesnt make it any less problematic everyone wants to stop the data collection I do to if your going to call it as it truly is dont make up words and technically if you say thats zdnets opinion you could consider what you said about zdnet your opinion if you want to go there everyone is entitled to there opinion and thats right this is my opinion quote me something where microsoft has mentioned the word spy and Ill stfu you cant. That said I have known about spybot beacon for sometime. They make spybot search and destroy a very good product this is very good to and windows privacy tweaker is very good to from the makers of a trojan horse phrozensoft.

[steven36]

You quoted your thread that you started that actually wasnt the original f3d posted the original and microsoft admitted you cant stop the data collection they didnt say they "spy" per se. The article is correct there isnt one shred of evidence to suggest microsoft is using the data collected to be evil to spy on you I agree that doesnt make it any less problematic everyone wants to stop the data collection I do to if your going to call it as it truly is dont make up words and technically if you say thats zdnets opinion you could consider what you said about zdnet your opinion if you want to go there everyone is entitled to there opinion and thats right this is my opinion quote me something where microsoft has mentioned the word spy and Ill stfu you cant. That said I have known about spybot beacon for sometime. They make spybot search and destroy a very good product this is very good to and windows privacy tweaker is very good to from the makers of a trojan horse phrozensoft.

If you don't believe its so ether why do you use windows privacy tweaker ? Ether it is are it isn't . It cant be one or the other . I could care less if it its so personally because I don't need articles written by M$ fanboys to make decisions for me . I went 35 years with no internet to make decisions for me . So why would I let it dictate what I do now ?

I don't use Windows 10 anymore . Im on Linux most of the time . But when I get on my windows 8.1 PC I don't use no tweaker I never installed spy updates or get windows 10 ones to begin with. And use a firewall with a ip sniffer to block out anything M$ calls out and I keep windows updates turned off.

[straycat19]

Like steven36 I don't use windows 10 and blocked all updates in June for windows 7/8.1 so I have no spyware on them. Checked and verified. Microsoft says they only collect metadata, which is the same thing that the NSA collects, only Microsoft says it don't tell them anything, and NSA says it tells them all. Now who are you going to believe? There are some great Linux Distros available and now that openSUSE has added some of its commercial code to its free OS it is more attractive than ever.

So everyone that thinks they can block Microsoft from getting metadata from your system must be high, because the easiest way is just to have it fed on port 80 so every time you open a browser it sends the data to anyone who wants it. If I was Microsoft and people were attempting to block my data collection, that is the way I would do it.

[Holmes]

I said they didnt say spy I never said they didnt collect data pay attention read what I said again. This is the windows privacy tweaker program:

https://www.phrozensoft.com/freeware

Look for windows privacy tweaker its a very good program. ZDnet has better plausibility than most sites out there. Just because people like me see between the lines and can connect the dots that makes us microsoft fanboys? No. thou shall not judge.

[steven36]

I know what the program is I have nothing against it i use to use it back when I tested Windows 10 . I don't have nothing against spybot ether I tested it before too. But this guy from ZDNET who dont belive there's a need for them, why does he test them ? And makes like most of these tools are harmful that they have spyware themselves . Only one tool I downloaded had opencandy addware . I just deleted it and didn't use it . But most all of them are clean . At lest you can delete those programs . If you delete windows it wont boot up any more . :P

.phrozensoft , O&O , spybot are all doing this for free none are doing to make money expect that one that's using OC .

Spybot is a company that fighted spyware sine the year 2000 it and Lavasoft were all we had back then . If they were not concerned about it being spyware the would not make tools to try to prevent it.

And even XP had spyware a German company made XP antispy I use to use it so data collecting is nothing new for M$

[Holmes]

He tests them for the reason I test software find out what ones are good and what ones are not as good. He says there not collecting data to spy to do evil he doesnt say they dont collect data and after he mentions that he knows about data collection he offer spybot anti-beacon. If you delete windows theres nothing to boot up so of course its not going to boot up lawls.

[steven36]

He tests them for the reason I test software find out what ones are good and what ones are not as good. He says there not collecting data to spy to do evil he doesnt say they dont collect data and after he mentions that he knows about data collection he offer spybot anti-beacon. If you delete windows theres nothing to boot up so of course its not going to boot up lawls.

It only says he tested one when I was on Windows 10 I tested many . Some of them I didn't test because I use it with blocking with a firewall and really didn't need any to began with .

The article sounds one sided too me . when I use Linux I don't have to agree to a 108 pages of red tape like I do Windows .

So M$ claims they don't do nothing with you're Data when the Prism ACT plainly states its law they have too give NSA you're data like Straycat spoke about.

[Karlston]

About the only successes related to Windows 10 seem to be for the developers of utilities to disable Microsoft's Windows 10 upgrade nagware for Windows 7/8.1and the privacy abuse in Windows 10 itself.

I wonder what the market share of the GWX Control Panel is... probably higher than Windows 10 itself, LOL.

[Holmes]

Prism is a program (not a software program) not a act and prism is nsa not microsoft your mixing the two. You dont know how to connect the dots properly do you. The five eyes is collecting data on you they havent used the word spying I dont think nsa is spying compared to microsoft nsa collects data to help fight terrorism and do you think its possible to find terrorists without the software they use and without the software to be programmed to do what its doing. Finding a terrorist without such software is like finding a needle in a haystack dont get me wrong I wish there were better way of finding terrorists there isnt.

[steven36]

About the only successes related to Windows 10 seem to be for the developers of utilities to disable Microsoft's installation nagware for Windows 7/8.1and the privacy abuse in Windows 10 itself.

I wonder what the market share of the GWX Control Panel is... probably higher than Windows 10 itself, LOL.

Windows Privacy Tweaker and others do stuff to disable Spy stuff in windows 7/8.1 too. But there not really needed if you're careful about what updates you install and use a firewall and GWX Control Panel is not needed unless your trying to remove get windows 10 updates if you never installed them its useless.

You dont know how to connect the dots properly do you.

And I connect the dots fine basically anything that logs you're data that's on American soil or users there servers has to give data to NSA And the other 4 Eyes share there's to get theirs. But its really more than 5 that share .

[Holmes]

They dont have to give it to the nsa the nsa asks for it and microsoft can say yay or nay and from what I perceive you dont connect the dots properly saying they HAVE to give the data they share. There have been numerous companies that the nsa requested data and they didnt share no company has to.

[steven36]

They dont have to give it to the nsa the nsa asks for it and microsoft can say yay or nay and from what I perceive you dont connect the dots properly saying they HAVE to give the data they share.

Last time Microsoft said no they ended up in court I wonder what was the verdict on that do you know ? Are is it still in the courts? And that was for data collected outside the US in Ireland. They have to abide if its collected on US soil .

There have been numerous companies that the nsa requested data and they didnt share no company has to.

Now days every company that refuses NSA of the FBI data gets Hauled into court just like if they come to you're home with a warrnet and you refuse to cooperate you would get took to court.

PRISM was enabled under President Bush by the Protect America Act of 2007 and by the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which immunizes private companies from legal action when they cooperate with U.S. government agencies in intelligence collection.

They don't cooperate then they get took to court . Say if they get in trouble all they have do is rat on and they cant be touched . But if they dont the 1st thing they do wrong they will held accountable.

[compgen1534]

People can believe whatever they want. As Holmes said, Microsoft does not have to give the data to the NSA at all.

And what's the point of being paranoid, because, after all, nobody cares. And second, Microsoft won't change their ways :D

In a sense, I feel sorry for those who refuse to upgrade to Windows 10 because of this. The OS is really awesome. Soon will come the time when Windows 7 and eventually Windows 8.x will have ended support and now what.. Move to Linux?

Whether you want to believe it or not, Linux has no large third party base, meaning there are really not a lot of programs that work on it. For most of the OS, you have to get around using a terminal. It's kind of like a GUI and kinda like a CLI.

--

I remember hearing somewhere that Microsoft would provide an option to completely disable the telemetry on Enterprise editions of Windows, hopefully that will happen soon.

So I'll repeat...

Nobody will have the same on this subject, so therefore, each is entitled to your own opinion.

Just think practically though... It'll help in the long run lol. :D

[Chatman]

Guys, let me ask you something!

What the Hell do you keep in your PCs, that you're so concerned about Microsoft is spying you?

Do you keep military secrets? Nuclear bombs plan-sheets? Are you billionaires and you are afraid to get poor? C'mon! All these discussions are just dust in the wind. A kind of bla, bla, bla... Look at me how smart I am, cause I've tweaked my firewall... I block X... I block Y... I don't update...

[steven36]

People can believe whatever they want. As Holmes said, Microsoft does not have to give the data to the NSA at all.

And what's the point of being paranoid, because, after all, nobody cares. And second, Microsoft won't change their ways :D

In a sense, I feel sorry for those who refuse to upgrade to Windows 10 because of this. The OS is really awesome. Soon will come the time when Windows 7 and eventually Windows 8.x will have ended support and now what.. Move to Linux?

Whether you want to believe it or not, Linux has no large third party base, meaning there are really not a lot of programs that work on it. For most of the OS, you have to get around using a terminal. It's kind of like a GUI and kinda like a CLI.

--

I remember hearing somewhere that Microsoft would provide an option to completely disable the telemetry on Enterprise editions of Windows, hopefully that will happen soon.

So I'll repeat...

Nobody will have the same on this subject, so therefore, each is entitled to your own opinion.

Just think practically though... It'll help in the long run lol. :D

Microsoft Corporation v. United States of America, (also known as the "Microsoft Ireland" case), is an appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit whose central issue is whether a domestic search warrant can compel American companies to produce data stored in servers outside the United States. The Second Circuit heard oral arguments for this case on September 9, 2015

The case began in December 2013 when a New York district court judge issued a warrant asking Microsoft to produce all emails and private information associated with a certain account hosted by Microsoft. The account's emails were stored on a server located in Dublin, Ireland, one of many datacenters held by Microsoft around the world to improve the speed of service it provides its foreign customers. Microsoft provided account information kept on its U.S. servers but refused to turn the emails over, arguing that a U.S. judge has no authority to issue a warrant for information stored abroad. Microsoft moved to vacate the warrant for the content held abroad on 18 December 2013. In May 2014, a federal magistrate judge disagreed with Microsoft and ordered it to turn over the emails. Microsoft appealed to the District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The district court found in favour of the government and Microsoft appealed to the Second Circuit.

On 23 December 2014 the Irish government filed an amicus brief in support of Microsoft, as have numerous other organisations and individuals.^%5B5%5D The Irish government maintains the emails should be disclosed only on request to the Irish government pursuant to the long standing mutual legal assistance treaty between the U.S. and Ireland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corporation_v._United_States_of_America

The US is not happy with them just turning over data in the States they want to be able to collect were ever M$ collects it from. M$ is in court right now for not shareing data outside the USA

M$ says it in there own words what had been harvested in the states they turned over because its the law not a belief . The problem with this you don't know were there storing the data at, just like Kim Dotcom from MegaUpload stored some of his in the states its in the cloud look at the mess hes in . Even if M$ got lucky and won they still would have access to what they store in the US. Thats the law.

[CODYQX4]

Guys, let me ask you something!

What the Hell do you keep in your PCs, that you're so concerned about Microsoft is spying you?

Do you keep military secrets? Nuclear bombs plan-sheets? Are you billionaires and you are afraid to get poor? C'mon! All these discussions are just dust in the wind. A kind of bla, bla, bla... Look at me how smart I am, cause I've tweaked my firewall... I block X... I block Y... I don't update...

How about just not liking being spied on? I'm not just some dumb consumer who's sole value is to be marketed to and suck on the teet of whatever garbage Facebook, Bing, Google etc say I should like. I'm not a damn sheep.

If you want to use "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" logic then put a webcam in every room of your house and stream every second to YouTube publicly. You don't care, right?

Those who invented that phrase were none other than Nazis. Actual Nazis, not some over exaggeration. ... and guess what? People who didn't have something to hide still got harassed and persecuted.

No wonder we're losing our rights around the world. The governments and corporations don't even have to use force, because the sheeple just love their chains like good little slaves.

[Chatman]

Guys, let me ask you something!

What the Hell do you keep in your PCs, that you're so concerned about Microsoft is spying you?

Do you keep military secrets? Nuclear bombs plan-sheets? Are you billionaires and you are afraid to get poor? C'mon! All these discussions are just dust in the wind. A kind of bla, bla, bla... Look at me how smart I am, cause I've tweaked my firewall... I block X... I block Y... I don't update...

How about just not liking being spied on? I'm not just some dumb consumer who's sole value is to be marketed to and suck on the teet of whatever garbage Facebook, Bing, Google etc say I should like. I'm not a damn sheep.

If you want to use "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" logic then put a webcam in every room of your house and stream every second to YouTube publicly. You don't care, right?

Those who invented that phrase were none other than Nazis. Actual Nazis, not some over exaggeration. ... and guess what? People who didn't have something to hide still got harassed and persecuted.

No wonder we're losing our rights around the world. The governments and corporations don't even have to use force, because the sheeple just love their chains like good little slaves.

You have the right to have your personal opinion. As me too, isn't? Or, I don't?

[Holmes]

People can believe whatever they want. As Holmes said, Microsoft does not have to give the data to the NSA at all.

And what's the point of being paranoid, because, after all, nobody cares. And second, Microsoft won't change their ways :D

In a sense, I feel sorry for those who refuse to upgrade to Windows 10 because of this. The OS is really awesome. Soon will come the time when Windows 7 and eventually Windows 8.x will have ended support and now what.. Move to Linux?

Whether you want to believe it or not, Linux has no large third party base, meaning there are really not a lot of programs that work on it. For most of the OS, you have to get around using a terminal. It's kind of like a GUI and kinda like a CLI.

--

I remember hearing somewhere that Microsoft would provide an option to completely disable the telemetry on Enterprise editions of Windows, hopefully that will happen soon.

So I'll repeat...

Nobody will have the same on this subject, so therefore, each is entitled to your own opinion.

Just think practically though... It'll help in the long run lol. :D

There are no reports of microsoft taking people to court if they say no to the request for data if there is give me proof show me pics steven36 or it didnt happen make sure the pics include the correct proof not something that sounds similiar.

[steven36]

People can believe whatever they want. As Holmes said, Microsoft does not have to give the data to the NSA at all.

And what's the point of being paranoid, because, after all, nobody cares. And second, Microsoft won't change their ways :D

In a sense, I feel sorry for those who refuse to upgrade to Windows 10 because of this. The OS is really awesome. Soon will come the time when Windows 7 and eventually Windows 8.x will have ended support and now what.. Move to Linux?

Whether you want to believe it or not, Linux has no large third party base, meaning there are really not a lot of programs that work on it. For most of the OS, you have to get around using a terminal. It's kind of like a GUI and kinda like a CLI.

--

I remember hearing somewhere that Microsoft would provide an option to completely disable the telemetry on Enterprise editions of Windows, hopefully that will happen soon.

So I'll repeat...

Nobody will have the same on this subject, so therefore, each is entitled to your own opinion.

Just think practically though... It'll help in the long run lol. :D

There are no reports of microsoft taking people to court if they say no to the request for data if there is give me proof show me pics steven36 or it didnt happen make sure the pics include the correct proof not something that sounds similiar.

There no record of M$ talking to the court ? Sure there is its all public record .Even the head of the FBI spoke up against M$ in this hearing If you want the records call NY state and get them . Its not my job to provide you with court records because you have you're own beliefs mixed up with actual laws . You need to learn the law before telling others about the law . Just because you don't like the laws don't mean they don't exist because they do . I don't like these laws ether but I cant stop them . At lest I do try learn them before I talk about them.

When you say it didn't happen you're not just calling me lair you're calling Wiki and the world press and even the courts a lair .Denial is not just a river in Egypt. :P

In 2014, Microsoft rejected 6.7 percent of law enforcement requests for customer data on legal grounds, up from 2.9 percent a year earlier. In 2012, the first year for which Microsoft reported the data, the company’s legal team rejected 1.2 percent of requests.

That means in 2014 M$ complied with 93% of Government request . And the US has them in court right now and its pending what the Judge decides will they have to fully compile 100% I don't like the Laws but also I don't like the fact the Government lets big companies as long they rat on you be untouchable. You make it sound as M$ is above the law . but in reality they only are as long as they give the Government every thing they want too know ,

Why do you think M$ makes you agree too a hundred and some pages of privacy policy its in case they have to turn the data over you cant even sue them because you agreed to it when you use windows 10 . Its to cover there own butt in case you was too try to sue them for spying on you.

I never understood why people defend software giants that could just up and quit developing and are so filthy rich that they would be eating caviar and drinking fine wine the rest of there life from the working class hard earned money . They don't care about me or you they only care about making more money and if they have snitch on you to to keep making money they will . They don't even care about there own employees. They been laying off workers for years there just like every other really rich company I ever seen or worked for.

[Rivenson]

CODYQX4, on 08 Nov 2015 - 23:21, said:

Chatman, on 08 Nov 2015 - 22:07, said:

Guys, let me ask you something!

What the Hell do you keep in your PCs, that you're so concerned about Microsoft is spying you?

Do you keep military secrets? Nuclear bombs plan-sheets? Are you billionaires and you are afraid to get poor? C'mon! All these discussions are just dust in the wind. A kind of bla, bla, bla... Look at me how smart I am, cause I've tweaked my firewall... I block X... I block Y... I don't update...

How about just not liking being spied on? I'm not just some dumb consumer who's sole value is to be marketed to and suck on the teet of whatever garbage Facebook, Bing, Google etc say I should like. I'm not a damn sheep. If you want to use "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" logic then put a webcam in every room of your house and stream every second to YouTube publicly. You don't care, right? Those who invented that phrase were none other than Nazis. Actual Nazis, not some over exaggeration. ... and guess what? People who didn't have something to hide still got harassed and persecuted. No wonder we're losing our rights around the world. The governments and corporations don't even have to use force, because the sheeple just love their chains like good little slaves.You have the right to have your personal opinion. As me too, isn't? Or, I don't?

Of course everyone has a personal opinion about stuff in general,cause in one way, opinion is like a rectum,anyone has one...(and its personal too)

Discussions like these are not just dust in the wind, because what matters here is the principle.

No one gave the right to M$ or any other Corpo to sneak in to my life, ('right' taken arbitrarily) and generally that practice is outside of the scope of an operating system).

Whether I have, or not, things to hide , that's not M$'s business.

[welle]

If everything is so fine with Companies spying, then try to send them your spyware.

Tell them you track and collect their data to be a better customer.

Then wait and see what they say...