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Win10 a spyware and trojan horse?

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To be spyware or a Trojan horse, I'm pretty sure Windows would have to install itself automatically/surreptitiously and without your consent.

Win10 certainly does new things that some find questionable from a privacy point of view. An online debate about this is already well and truly underway.

Using dramatic language like this does little to help this debate along, IMHO
 
I thought its really protected from all these things? This is why I don't want to upgrade to Windows 10. I'd rather stay with Windows 7.
 
http://www.theguardian.com/technolo...faces-criticism-over-privacy-default-settings
http://www.ghacks.net/2015/07/30/windows-10-and-privacy/
This is truly scary and I can't understand how some off you guys don't take it more seriously.

Yes, google does it also, but that's no excuse for what microsoft does and you can't say that what google does is alright.

Think about it this way: yesterday you were tracked by the chrome windows browser, today you are being tracked by the OS itself.

At this stage, Windows 10 is literally a tracking OS. What's even sad is that it is still not 100% free for everyone. You still have to pay for it: a new computer, a new paid licence.
You pay money in order to get tracked by a mega corp. It's idiocy. They could have least had the decency to give it for free to everyone.

But ... why shouldn't they take your money when the general consensus is "google does it also" ...
 
While I don't do anything a man shouldn't be doing on a PC (child porn, torrenting, terrorist discussion, etc), I just don't think everyone should be spied upon but if you have a Facebook profile you're already out in the open. Unfortunately, the event of 9/11 changed how the US gov't handles security and their civilians, talking about how they stand tall and not be scared of terrorists when spying on EVERYONE is actually showing that they're scared shitless.

But now almost everything is free, new games are free2play, apps are free, and now OS are free and we're becoming the product being sold to companies and gov't for information. And when something is free, it gains A LOT of users, Second Life and World of Tanks showed that.
 
Black Octagon said:
To be spyware or a Trojan horse, I'm pretty sure Windows would have to install itself automatically/surreptitiously and without your consent.

Win10 certainly does new things that some find questionable from a privacy point of view. An online debate about this is already well and truly underway.

Using dramatic language like this does little to help this debate along, IMHO
Click to expand...


since there's no way to turn off automatic updates that's pretty much what Windows 10 does.
 
Is this really a fear the Microsoft is collecting data on what you are doing, or just a fear that they are being more open about it than anyone else, and open to giving to options as early as the Windows install to not allow it?
 
ketchup79 said:
Is this really a fear the Microsoft is collecting data on what you are doing, or just a fear that they are being more open about it than anyone else, and open to giving to options as early as the Windows install to not allow it?
Click to expand...
I don't think anyone said that they're afraid of Microsoft. I'm not going to take a gun and kill 10 people just because someone says "are you afraid to do it?". Repulsed, annoyed, betrayed, disgusted, are words that I think are more accurate. Obviously you wouldn't install an OS if they fall into any of those categories, especially if there are better options. It's more common sense.
 
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I myself like using windows. The main point of my frustration is that I do not like where Windows is heading.
 
Tom said:
since there's no way to turn off automatic updates that's pretty much what Windows 10 does.
Click to expand...

No it isn't, because you had to install the OS in the first place. It automatically installing updates is not the same thing.

waggy said:
shrug. so they say..
Click to expand...

I'm sure someone could sift through an error report to verify if they were so inclined, but I suspect people would rather assume and freak out instead of being objective about it.

Also, ask yourself why would Microsoft even care about you, really?
 
SparkyJJO said:
No it isn't, because you had to install the OS in the first place. It automatically installing updates is not the same thing.



I'm sure someone could sift through an error report to verify if they were so inclined, but I suspect people would rather assume and freak out instead of being objective about it.

Also, ask yourself why would Microsoft even care about you, really?
Click to expand...

they don't. MS could give a shit what i do.

BUT i wonder how much NSA and such has access.

At least with MS i know what they want. to sell ade revenue (same with google).

but what can a person do?
 
ketchup79 said:
Go to services and disable automatic updates. Works exactly the same as the last 4 versions of Windows.
Click to expand...
If by you mean completely turning off WU then that's not really a good idea, Windows Defender definitions gets pushed on a daily basis and other Windows based security patches too. It's the driver-level updates that are getting automatically pushed through when it shouldn't be because when a broken driver gets through and you uninstall it, then WU reinstall again.
 
TeknoBug said:
If by you mean completely turning off WU then that's not really a good idea, Windows Defender definitions gets pushed on a daily basis and other Windows based security patches too. It's the driver-level updates that are getting automatically pushed through when it shouldn't be because when a broken driver gets through and you uninstall it, then WU reinstall again.
Click to expand...
I definitely agree it is not a good idea, just correcting the poster who said that you can't turn it off.
 
TeknoBug said:
If by you mean completely turning off WU then that's not really a good idea, Windows Defender definitions gets pushed on a daily basis and other Windows based security patches too. It's the driver-level updates that are getting automatically pushed through when it shouldn't be because when a broken driver gets through and you uninstall it, then WU reinstall again.
Click to expand...

I know there's a new Intel Ethernet driver Windows wants to install for me, but I told it not to install drivers from windows update and it isn't installing that one. When I turn that option back on to allow it, I see it in the windows update list again.
 
Dahak said:
No to make this come off the wrong way, as it is hard to do so in text form, but how is this any different than the information that is gathered from current smart phones?
Click to expand...

I suppose the difference is that this is primarily going to be installed on desktop PCs (and laptops I guess).

My PC is under my desk, it doesn't need to log a lot of the things my phone does.

I also have a lot more data on my PC, some of it work related. I don't want it shared.
 
SparkyJJO said:
No it isn't, because you had to install the OS in the first place. It automatically installing updates is not the same thing.
Click to expand...

I guess you don't know what a Trojan Horse is. It means consenting to something that then does something you didn't expect or agree to.

For example, if I have a computer running 7, that can't run 10, or I never plan to upgrade to 10, I didn't need KB 3035583. Or the other "updates" that "prepared" a pc to be updated.

7 was designed to give me control over that, if I want to have that control.

That control is gone for human beings, my understanding is that it still exists for "enterprises".
 
ketchup79 said:
I definitely agree it is not a good idea, just correcting the poster who said that you can't turn it off.
Click to expand...

I guess you could stop it from running by never connecting to the internet too.

I was inexact in my language, it's possible to stop it but it's no longer designed to make it the user's choice when and how to update.

I don't really care much but I see this as potentially a big problem as far as drivers, the old adage don't fix it if it ain't broke will go by the wayside.
 
Tom said:
I guess you could stop it from running by never connecting to the internet too.

I was inexact in my language, it's possible to stop it but it's no longer designed to make it the user's choice when and how to update.

I don't really care much but I see this as potentially a big problem as far as drivers, the old adage don't fix it if it ain't broke will go by the wayside.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the driver thing is an issue already. The problem, as I see it, is that there are actually two changes:

1. Driver updates have turned into necessary updates, and
2. Necessary updates cannot be individually denied.

If you take off the first one, there really wouldn't be a big deal here.
 
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owensdj said:
There is nothing in the data that is personally identifying, so stop with the fear-mongering.
Click to expand...

Well it does, they just promise not to use it (much).


Full
Full data includes all Basic and Enhanced data, and also turns on advanced diagnostic features that collect additional data from your device, such as system files or memory snapshots, which may unintentionally include parts of a document you were working on when a problem occurred. This information helps us further troubleshoot and fix problems. If an error report contains personal data, we won't use that information to identify, contact, or target advertising to you. This is the recommended option for the best Windows experience and the most effective troubleshooting.
Click to expand...
 
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