but are the bits about collecting browse information?

And is the collecting browse information only via Microsoft Edge (the new browser) and Cortana, or does Windows 10 also collect browse information even when I use Google Chrome with Google search engine?

And if so, while that would suck and I dislike it, does it really matter if I add Microsoft to the list of the twenty other companies already tracking me?

Google Search, my ISP, the Tier1 network the ISP connects to, the CIA tapping into the Tier1, twenty-odd cookie-and-advert networks (including Google and Facebook), the Google Analytics built into most sites, Facebook via the Like button even when I don't use Facebook, Google via the G+ button, and etc...

At this point, we almost have to recognize that the internet is more public that going for a walk down a crowded New York street - when walking in the crowd, nobody is paying attention, but when on the internet, each individual is being personally tracked and their movements recorded.

Ya but on the internet is one thing, but begin tracked now while off it?

Ya but on the internet is one thing, but begin tracked now while off it?

That's what I'm wondering. What parts of Win10 are tracking you even off of the internet?

Cortana is an internet-connected app. Using it makes you "on the internet".

Apart from desktop search, which also optionally includes internet search results, like were already in Win8.1, what does Microsoft track that's offline?

I would rather desktop search be just file/app search without internet results, but appart from that, what is Microsoft actually actually tracking?

Ya but on the internet is one thing, but begin tracked now while off it?

That's what I'm wondering. What parts of Win10 are tracking you even off of the internet?

Cortana is an internet-connected app. Using it makes you "on the internet".

Apart from desktop search, which also optionally includes internet search results, like were already in Win8.1, what does Microsoft track that's offline?

I would rather desktop search be just file/app search without internet results, but appart from that, what is Microsoft actually actually tracking?

They are saying "we may track everything". So even if research now shows they are not, nothing is preventing them (legally) from releasing an update silently that will start tracking every file and every keystroke. At least that's my understanding.

For me the concern that Win10 presents switches for privacy but may abuse it's own rules and scan whole hard drive is like concern that it's raining while sinking on the ocean.

Right now every website and her dog uses analytics, sometimes from multiple sources, that track much more than the mere fact of visiting the page. I suggest visiting google analytics and looking at what it can present to site owners. Among obvious ones like unique visitor or location there is also age, gender and interests. That is already hell of personal info that is already tracked regardless if you turn off cookies or java script (that by itself will render many websites useless).

Beside of that every single program you installed on your machine can scan all files and send them over the net (antivirus anyone?). And guess what? It is not *new* in Win10. It was like this since broadband internet became cheap and popular. Any windows in the past could read everything and send it wherever it liked. Did they do it? No. So why Win10 should do it while they are already give you option to not enable it?

Why it is enabled by default? Probably because it is convenient to most users. Especially the less tech-savvy ones that still want to have current weather and such without setting anything up.

If you are actually concerned about privacy you probably shouldn't be using any version of Windows. Or a Apple product. Or a Google service. Pretty much anything.

If you are actually concerned about privacy you probably shouldn't be using any version of Windows. Or a Apple product. Or a Google service. Pretty much anything.

Sure if you don't want anyone to know anything about you, but most people are comfortable making some info public. Hell, most people want to share stuff.

There is a difference between tin foil hat wearing paranoia and reasonable concerns about privacy.

I fully accept that anything I put on Facebook isn't private, even if it's not immediately available to the public. Email too, is still unencrypted and therefore easily read.

But I think accessing the files on my computer that I've never put online is a step too far.

nothing is preventing them (legally) from releasing an update silently that will start tracking every file and every keystroke.

AFAIK, nothing is preventing them (legally) from amending the policies on Windows 7 to allow the same thing, at any time. The privacy policy and EULA can be rewritten at any time (where your choices are to accept the new agreement, or uninstall windows), and regardless, are likely subject to varying legal interpretations if anyone ever sued based on it.

The only leverage you have against any company to prevent them sending all your files to the internet is the negative publicity it would engender.

If you are actually concerned about privacy you probably shouldn't be using any version of Windows. Or a Apple product. Or a Google service. Pretty much anything.

Or Canonical products/services...

view the contained government-disapproved content after restarting the computer and booting to linux.

.

That won't protect you from all the backdoors that are built into the firmware that comes with your system.

If you are actually concerned about privacy you probably shouldn't be using any version of Windows. Or a Apple product. Or a Google service. Pretty much anything.

Or Canonical products/services...

Or not. Full disclosure: I 've been with the Unuty desktop team at Canonical for the last few years, and I know the secret inside scoop.

What really happens is rumours on the internet explode and take on a life of their own, and paranoiacs blow them out of proportion. Folks, it doesn't matter if jet fuel can't melt steel and the first proof of a conspiracy is not denial. You will find it difficult to find a more privacy-oriented security-conscious bunch than the people at Canonical.

Our reaction? Develop a new OS that has application isolation as a part of the architecture from the ground up, and each resource use needs to be individually OK'd by the user. The default is that an app can't get at the internet unless you explicitly allow it: same goes for another application's data. You can't take a picture with the camera and open it in a photo editor without granting permission, let alone have the flashlight app scan it and phone home about it (a real-life case on Android).

Given Microsoft has been a step behind everything we at Canonical do for the last several years, I'm betting either one of the over the air WIndows 10 updates is going to introduce the same thing (application isolation and explicit resource permission control) or else WIndows 10 will not really be the last version ever.

Mean time I upgraded my games machine to Windows 10 last night. It doesn't matter to me if the NSA knows I've played DA:I for over 100 hours or my son likes to practice conquering Europe with his Roman legions. If need privacy and security, I have a VPN on an OS I trust upstairs in my office.