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Vista is Watching You

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the also-up-is-higher-than-down dept.

greengrass writes "Are you using Windows Vista? Then you might as well know that the licensed operating system installed on your machine is harvesting a healthy volume of information for Microsoft. In this context, a program such as the Windows Genuine Advantage is the last of your concerns. In fact, in excess of 20 Windows Vista features and services are hard at work collecting and transmitting your personal data to the Redmond company."

3 of 458 comments (clear)

  1. This is a surprise to WHO? by damn_registrars · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Really... Is there some reason why we didn't expect this?

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  2. Re:Negro, puhleeese by sid0 · · Score: 1, Redundant

    And it fucking IS.

  3. Re:Vista's biggest enemy by DerekLyons · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Americans take their privacy seriously? Since when as the average yank done that?
     
    Sure you have some folk who do, but considering the supermarket "loyalty cards" (and it isn't just in the US of course), the various voting things (e.g. who's the hottest "singer"?), using plastic cards to pay for everything and so on...
     
    Meh, I'm sure you get my point, which is that only some people (around the world), take their privacy as seriously as you seem to think.

    No, it's just that the average American doesn't go into screaming hissy fits over every 'leak' of 'personal information'. He feels (rightly) that it doesn't really matter if he leaves a paper trail - he doesn't have anything to hide. He (again rightly) doesn't care whether $MEGA_CORP knows his preference in breakfast cereal.
     
    He's also been desensitized by a decade of self-serving 'privacy advocates' whose only argument in favor of extreme privacy is that one should be in favor of extreme privacy, no supporting arguments needed. (Not to mention the tinfoil hat crowd the privacy advocates have openly wooed to their side - their argument is even worse; "Look, $DICTATOR made $GROUP register with $GOVERMENT_BODY! If $MEGA_CORP knows your breakfeast cereal preferences, you could be next in the [re-education camps|prison|gas chambers]!".)