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posted by takyon on Thursday December 13 2018, @07:47PM   Printer-friendly
from the history-of-failure dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Windows 10 can carry on slurping even when you're sure you yelled STOP!

A feature introduced in the April 2018 Update of Windows 10 may have set off a privacy landmine within the bowels of Redmond as users have discovered that their data was still flowing into the intestines of the Windows giant, even with the thing apparently turned off. In what is likely to be more cock-up than conspiracy, it appears that Microsoft is continuing to collect data on recent user activities even when the user has explicitly said NO, DAMMIT!

First noted in an increasingly shouty thread over on Reddit, the issue is related to Activity History, which is needed to make the much-vaunted and little-used Timeline feature work in Windows 10.

Introduced in what had previously been regarded as one of Microsoft's flakiest updates – prior to the glory of the October 2018 Update, of course – Timeline allows users to go back through apps as well as websites to get back to what they were doing at a given point. Use a Microsoft account, and a user can view this over multiple PCs and mobile devices (as long[sic] you are signed in with that same Microsoft account). The key setting is that "Send my activity history to Microsoft" check box. Uncheck it and you'd be forgiven for thinking your activity would not be sent Redmondwards. Right?

Except, er, the slurping appears to be carrying on unabated. The Redditors reported that if one takes a look at the Activity History in the Privacy Dashboard lurking within their account, apps and sites are still showing up.


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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 13 2018, @09:30PM (8 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 13 2018, @09:30PM (#774154)

    I stopped using Windows when Microsoft pushed telemetry gathering onto Windows 7 via their Windows Update process, which was supposed to be for upgrades and security patches. I went right out and bought a Macbook Pro. (Yes, I tried Ubuntu; hated it.)

    Yeah, it was pricey, and there are plenty of things Apple does that I dislike. But every time I start to think that maybe Microsoft isn't fucking over their users via Windows anymore, yet another story like this one comes out and it is again revealed that Microsoft is way beyond rapey. They're "keep you in a pit and harvest your skin" at this point.

    I can understand why most people stick with Windows, because most people don't know any better. I can understand why large companies stick with it, because of sunk costs and Microsoft salespeople getting them hookers and blow. I just wish a meteor would hit Redmond (and anywhere else the Microsoft scourge is located) and wipe Microsoft from the face of the earth.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Gaaark on Thursday December 13 2018, @11:52PM (6 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Thursday December 13 2018, @11:52PM (#774201) Journal

    What will you do when Apple starts doing the telemetry thing?

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @12:26AM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @12:26AM (#774207)

      Stick with them, because it would still be better than using Linsux.

      • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday December 14 2018, @12:57AM (3 children)

        by Gaaark (41) on Friday December 14 2018, @12:57AM (#774219) Journal

        Oh smart!
        Drop Windows cos "I can't stand being spied on: imma BIG boy now!"

        Stay with Apple no matter what cos "I looooove being raped by Apple!"

        Sounds like you're kinda pathetic.

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @02:32AM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @02:32AM (#774240)

          I didn't say that I like telemetry and the pillaging of user privacy. I don't. I just dislike Linsux even more.

          • (Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Friday December 14 2018, @02:55AM

            by Gaaark (41) on Friday December 14 2018, @02:55AM (#774249) Journal

            Yup... pathetic.

            --
            --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
          • (Score: 4, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Friday December 14 2018, @06:09PM

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 14 2018, @06:09PM (#774492) Journal

            Explanations needed for the whole "Linsux" thing.

            There are accounts of techie type people setting up a machine for agine parents/grandparents, running Linux, but looking as much like Windows as possible. Some of them put real work into duplicating the Windows desktop, while others only put modest efforts into doing so. AND THOSE OLD COOTS ADJUSTED JUST FINE!!

            So, if you're going to go "Linsux" at us, you could at least offer some explanations, that MIGHT convince us that you're more tech savvy than the 90-something great granny who thinks that Facefook is the web.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @01:41AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @01:41AM (#774230)

      What will you do when Apple starts doing the telemetry thing?

      I'm seriously considering the AmigaOne X5000.

      Not sarcasm.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @06:26PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 14 2018, @06:26PM (#774502)

    "Yes, I tried Ubuntu; hated it."

    stupid lazy minded slave tries to use a new gui desktop environment, doesn't like minor nonsense, too fucking lazy to read and learn to run a simple command or use the gui software center to install one of many of available desktop environments and picks the most closed ecosystem in the world to be enslaved by. you dismiss ubuntu (and other distros you're too entitled, stupid and lazy to look into) without knowing shit about any of it. you are not a man/woman. you are a pitiful slave.