Bleeping Computer – by Catalin Cimpanu
Microsoft turned a new leaf today and published a list of diagnostics data the company will be collecting from users of Windows 10 Creators Update, scheduled for launch next week, on April 11.
The list’s publication came as a surprise for all, as Microsoft has been very secretive about the telemetry data Windows 10 collected in the past.
Microsoft becomes more transparent for Creators Update
Both users and privacy groups criticized Microsoft, but the ones who convinced the Redmond company to make this move was the European Union WP29 (Article 29 Data Protection Working Party), who started an investigation into Microsoft’s user privacy practices last year.
To avoid getting a huge fine, Microsoft has agreed to be more transparent. The first move was to introduce a Privacy section in users’ web accounts, while the second move was to revamp the Privacy settings section in Windows 10.
This new Privacy panel has been under testing since mid-February and will ship with Creators Update, next week, albeit some users can update to the new Windows 10 version, starting today.
On top of this, in a blog post published early today, Microsoft also announced changes to its official privacy statement, but also published two wiki pages that detail the type of diagnostics data Windows 10 Creators Update collects from users.
The two lists reflect the new Windows 10 data collection options, which are Basic and Full. That means there is a list detailing diagnostics data for the Basic collection level, and one for the Full collection level. Microsoft says the Basic data collection level only gathers information needed to fix bugs. On the other hand, Microsoft says the Full data collection level allows users to tailor their Windows experience based on their needs, allowing Microsoft’s systems to learn how the user uses his PC.
The lists are humongous, showing the vast amount of data Microsoft collects on users, so we won’t bother embedding them in this article. Below is just a summary of the types of information Microsoft says it collects:
OS name, version, build, and locale
User ID
Xbox UserID
Device properties
Device capabilities
Device preferences and settings
Device peripherals
Device network info
App usage
App or product state
Login properties
Device health and crash data
Device performance and reliability data
Installed applications and install history
Device update information
Content consumption data (movies, TV, reading, photos)
Microsoft browser data
Information about local search activity
Voice, inking, and typing
Licensing and purchase data
A breakdown of all these settings is available on the two Microsoft wiki pages.
Some of that stuff they’re collecting is incredibly intrusive. I can’t fathom how anyone would tolerate that. And how can anyone trust Microsoft to not be taking even more than they admit?
Screw Microsoft. Linux all the way.