Microsoft has been caught again spying on their users. Microsoft, of course, claims it’s all a big misunderstanding. They explain, Facebook like, that if you don’t want to share your data you have to adjust this obscure setting involving diagnostic data not the setting labeled “Send my activity history to Microsoft.” Or maybe you have to adjust them both. It’s hard to tell and Microsoft isn’t very helpful to users trying to set up their machines to maintain a decent level of privacy.
Google, of course, is a bigger invader of its users’ privacy but at least they have the decency to provide their services for free. Microsoft, on the other hand, makes you pay ($139 for the Windows 10 “Home” edition) for the privilege of being spied on. Their users—at least some of them—are angry and mumbling darkly about suing under Europe’s GDPR. Microsoft will claim that, “Gee, we did have a setting—or series of settings—that turn off the collection” so we’re not doing anything wrong. It’s hard to say what those in charge of GDPR enforcement will say but the Dutch Government’s reactions to similar findings isn’t encouraging.
Regardless, it’s hard to feel sorry for Microsoft’s users. This type of thing keeps happening and every time it does, the users are shocked and repair to their fainting couches but they keep using Windows. As with Google, if you use their products, you’re going to be surveilled. Full stop.