Is this as bad as it sounds?

[Hollandia]

I don't know if this is right place for this, but this is about TECH so and many LDRs using their windows to exists, so here it is. Please feel free to move if not right place. I know some of you like Moon are experts in this arena so maybe you have insight into it. This is a copy of what I posted on my other forum:

I would not normally do this but since this community lives online, I thought I should share this very troubling information with you. I have some extremely computer literate friends, they are all programmers and networking experts on one of my forums. They brought this to light to me. Feel free to ignore, but I did find both of these updates sitting in my queue.

If you read this article.
https://www.infoworld.com/article/298...d-3080149.html

According to my two friends, one own his own computer networking company, the other is a senior code writer in his company, this is how they described what this means:

This article is down playing how Microsoft is now adding spyware deeply embedded spying functions into windows. It had initially only been on Windows 10, but they now have have added patches to window 7 and 8 to do the same. These updates will allow windows to search your files, all files, personal, hidden ...all of them for any content it feels is detrimental to itself and send this information back to microsoft. That is right, it can search in any file and it can deem what it feels is bad and copy it and send back to micorsoft.

These updates came out a few months ago, they did not tell you, they just lumped them in with your "important updates". As horrible as this sounds, it is legal and they are allowed to do this. You agreed to it, when you installed windows on your computer. If you don't want microsoft having access to this you can easily uninstall these updates. But beware they will try to install again, they can also change their names, so you will have to stop your auto updates and allow auto downloads only and then check your queue before allowing any to update. Some you do still need. If you look at your update page, it will allow you to put a check on which files you want to install, then look on right side of page and it shows that checked update. Under a very confusing general description it says "more details". If you click on this, it will take you to a microsoft page that has a more clear title of update. These two for windows 7 are the ones that you don't want but beware, they can change and add new updates at any time.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3075249

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080149

In general look out for anything with the words, "customer experience" and "CEIP" in it. This means you give access to them of your stuff. They say it is just for possible piracy in some articles but others say they can forward this information to any governmental agency they want.


Windows 8, has them too, I think those are listed in the article as well.

[sasad]

I am a systems engineer/network admin....
So yes and no.... It all depends on what you allow. Just like google with android phones...or actually most apps you install. Have you read what you are allowing access too? Have you ever wondered why ads pop up tailored to stuff you have searched for? MS Edge does do that, but you can turn it off.
My advice...don't panic and get all paranoid and feed into the hype. Educate yourselves. Read before you click that OK button.
That being said, I am not installing Windows 10 myself ..

[Moon]

I agree with most of what sasad said, South Park has a fantastic episode regarding this. If you have a strong stomach, and aren't squeamish, look for their "Human Centipad" episode. It's all about understanding what you're getting yourself into, reading those notifications, and deciding if that app that puts hats on your cats for free is really worth it. Unfortunately, this is only going to get much, much worse before it gets better, all technology is using these methods, the only way to avoid it and maintain 100% privacy will be to give up technology, and not many of us will do that! For now, you can always go the Linux route to be more private, but that's a matter of time, too.

When I look at my crap-ton of targeted ads, and how much of myself I allow to be seen/heard/surveillanced by our Big Brother country, it bothers me A LOT, A WHOLE LOT. It's really been on my mind recently, but what can I do? I could lock everything down, but it won't matter for long, people are too lulled into compliance by their picket fences and reality tv to put up a fight, so we're all screwed

For the record, I did upgrade to Windows 10. I had 8.1 and hated it, and knew it's be inevitable eventually, unless I got an alternate OS, so...

[80anthea]

I use linux for this reason but like Moon says, it's probably not perfect either. Privacy aside though it is in my opinion a much better os. Even my old steam powered laptop runs like a dream with it.

[Ella85]

I have windows 8 and decided not to upgrade to 10 yet. It bothers me as well that they can do this but the only things I keep on my computer is photos and college work, maybe some music files off my phone as back up. I doubt they would find anything interesting.

[Moon]

This isn't about what's on your local computer so much as it is what you're doing on the internet. I'm going tro cite an example that I ask you look at logically, not emotionally (sources will be listed at the end of my post). Google has turned in users suspected of pediophilia and child pornography by scanning their user's gmail accounts. Grreat, right? NO. As absolutely horrible as those crimes are, which is why they chose them, as people will support it, it's telling you that Google is not only watching you, but turning in your indiscretions. What if some Google employee is really, really against pot in any form, and you send an article to a friend about it's benefits? Or something in support of prostitution, or anything else considered illegal? Turning in horrible, henious crines that people will support at first is the beginning of allowing the loss of even more privacy and freedom.

No matter what OS you use, or even what country you're in, this is happening everywhere. There are ways around it of course, but they're difficult and a pain in the ass. They're also mostly used by people who do have reasons to hide, so they are trolled. Hahaha, I probably sound like some conspiracy theorist nutjob, I promise I'm not We should all be aware of what we're doing when we use technology, even as we allow it. At least with the internet, it's mostly the governments watching you, but when you indiscriminately download apps to your phone, and allow access to all of your data, who knows who you're allowing into your life?

Here are a few sources to show you what I mean. Don't bother searching this on Google, you won't find them Use Bing, or something else.

From Forbes

The Telegraph

Russian Times (RT)

[stevenkik]

To be frank, I am more worry about accidentally clicking on some nasty popup which might be injecting certain malware or spyware onto your pc than these updates from Microsoft. Well, there are conspiracy theories, but I don't think we need to be too paranoid on it.

Agreed with sasad, know what you are doing over the Internet, and distance away from those sites with windows popups and illegal freeware. One more note, when installing any software, always be sure to un-check some irrelevant add-on, which most likely could be some sort of spyware.