Today, a new sensational report is doing the rounds of the internet. It has come to our knowledge that Microsoft is sharing Windows 10 telemetry data collected from users with select partners. This means that everything Microsoft obtained from your PC can be inspected by a third party for whatever reasons.
As part of the deal, FireEye's software "iSIGHT Intelligence tools" will be integrated into Windows Defender. This will open the doors for FireEye to see telemetry from every device running Windows 10.
This is the first time when telemetry information is being shared with a third party. Earlier, there were no statements about such deals between Microsoft and other companies.
However, the situation has changed. Now the vast amount of telemetry data that Microsoft has can be accessed via a subscription billing model. This option will be available for security teams like anti-virus software developers. It sounds like if you pay enough, then you can get in.
There is no information on what data exactly will be accessible. The amount of telemetry data shared is also not known. It may include all information collected or can be limited to Windows Defender and security-related information only.
In any case, this move can make Windows 10 less attractive for many users for whom any sort of data collection and information sharing is not acceptable. This will stop many from migrating to the latest version of Windows. Windows 10 brings no significant improvements if you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on a traditional desktop PC with keyboard and mouse. Most new features in Windows 10 can be substituted with free third party apps. Windows 10 adds user interface changes that make it friendlier for touch devices such as tablets but tries the rectify the mistakes made with Windows 8. It also introduces the concept of the OS being a free or paid service that enterprises have to keep paying for perpetually, while for consumers, it is a one-time cost for now.
Telemetry can be officially disabled only in Enterprise editions of Windows 10. In other editions, it is possible only with a Registry hack as described in these articles:
- How to disable Telemetry and Data Collection in Windows 10
- Stop Windows 10 spying on you using just Windows Firewall
Source: The Inquirer.
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Somehow I thought it was the good news and that finally MS will allow people do see what’s being shared. Until I thought about it more and read this article.
It is quite timely that after a year of going back and forth between 8 and 10 I finally settled with 8. I would happily run win7, but WDDM 1.1 is slow with my tools of trade.
This make this joke of crap 10 even less attractive for me. I think this is a bad move, I don’t want MS to add some backdoors on my pc just for their parthners…..
Microsoft has no shame. Period.
I do not care a damn about anything Microsoft offer through those horrible universal apps and that irritating Cortana. First thing i do whenever i have to reinstall windows i go to Group edit policy and disable all the crap including Cortana, Telemetry and Store and all of bullshit Metro Apps . Third part programs are far far better than inbuilt ugly square so called Universal Apps.
People want to use Programs on their PCs not Apps , its the PC not Mobile.. Microsoft can not understand this basic difference.
I was using Enterprise LTSB S, gutted to the bare bones with MSMG toolkit (is basically DISM the crap out of it), then tools like winaero tweaker, ribbon disabler + a lot of custom regedits and a few group policies, with a decent theme from deviantart on top of it. Guess what. With all privacy maxed up, it still calls quite a few MS-owned addresses. This is crazy.
The only thing that is good about it – it is generally quick, but win8 (and in most cases 7) is already fast enough. And, while I had no life threatening problems with 10, a lot of people do. And don’t even start me on small to medium issues and the interface.
I respect the fact that Microsoft is trying a lot of different stuff nowadays and shames Cooks’ crApple, but most of the things they come up with belong to an underground testing facility in Nevada (Mumbai??), not my freaking desktop.
Yes, Win10 is more like a testing OS than a ready product and they proudly call it work in progress. But what the purpose this ‘work in progress’ serves when it is failing to server end user ? Seriously WHO needs that 3D Paint App than good old paint? who need those slow and featureless Mail- Calender Apps when a far superior thunderbird is already there from ages ? Apple’s Mac is better but it does not want us as their customers, they only care about elites . And no Linux derivative is good enough to work as full fledged OS to never force you go through Terminal commands and root directories or hardware support problems.
That’s why you should stay on Windows 7. Don’t move to Windows 10. They’ll try to scare you off but hold on tightly to Windows 7.
One of the many reasons to stay away from crap 10!
This will give all the conspiracy theorists more bones to chew on! LOL
There are no conspiracy theorists. What Microsoft is doing with Windows 10 is outright trickery equivalent to daylight robbery. You are blind to not see through it.
This is serious but not surprising. I like to know which data in particular is shared because it is very easy to do generalization and blow the issue out of proportion. I use local account of Windows with every UWP uninstalled along with Cortana. I don’t use edge and have turned off most of the telemetry options using group policy editor. I am aware MS logs application installed along with how long do I use that application. What else?
I also like to know are shared data is linked with personal identity or is it anonymized?
One more question. How do I only opt for security level data sharing as in Setting app, I only see basic level data sharing option along with Enhanced or Full data sharing option.
http://www.ghасks.nеt/2016/11/23/micrоsоft-givеs-third-pаrties-аccеss-to-windows-10-telemetry-data/
Sooner or later, I will return to Win7 x64.
With the latest updates they added telemetry collection. So Win 7 ad Win 8.1 are also affected.
Indeed
The nature of the deal between Microsoft and FireEye is to license threat intelligence content from FireEye iSIGHT Intelligence. This additional layer of intelligence includes indicators and reports of past attacks collected and edited by FireEye and enhances detection capabilities of Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (WDATP). The deal does not include the sharing of Microsoft telemetry.
Don’t be an MS apologist. Who gave them permission to collect any kind of telemetry without a clear way for the user to opt out of it?
And who gave you the idea, that there won’t be a clear way to opt-out of it?
Right now you have an option to opt-out of the cloud based anti virus protection as well and you also don’t have to transmit examples of infected files, that have been found on your system.
You can opt-out from all of this, so why do you think, that you can’t opt-out of this new thread protection system from FireEye?
Have you been living under a rock? Telemetry cannot be turned off in Windows 10 except Enterprise edition.