Microsoft Denies Windows 8 App Spying Via SmartScreen

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has denied Windows 8 SmartScreen is spying after research by Nadim Kobeissi indicated otherwise." Whether it's "spying" or not, Microsoft is collecting certain information with SmartScreen — the key is what's done with it: The article quotes a Microsoft spokesperson: "We don’t use this data to identify, contact or target advertising to our users and we don’t share it with third parties."

Comments

Sounds lke the same thing as Google

[Meshach]

Using all user's "anonymous" information to offer a better experience. Lets of people accept it from Google. Will they accept it from Microsoft?

Re:Disable it!

[fnj]

Maybe because he completely misses the point.

use of information doesn't matter

[sylvandb]

Collecting the information IS spying.

How the information is used after being collected does not matter for determining spying, only the motivation for spying.

Sensationalism

[Altanar]

I see /. is in for another round of anti-Windows 8 sensationalism. Please read the Ars Technica article talking about this before commentating.

Re:Sensationalism

[LateArthurDent]

I see /. is in for another round of anti-Windows 8 sensationalism. Please read the Ars Technica article talking about this before commentating.

Ah, sweet irony. Your Ars Technica article links to a wired article that argues cryptocat is no more secure than using no crypto at all, because it relies on host security, and then proceeds to defend Smart Screen using a host-security argument.

If you don't care Microsoft gets access to which programs you run / trust that they will keep the data anonymized and periodically delete the logs as you claim, by all means, don't turn off Smart Screen. That said, they have all the data they need to keep a record if every program you run, and I'd rather not take them at their word that they won't do anything bad with it.

Re:Disable it!

[Anonymous Coward]

There is a check box where you can disable this 'feature' before installation.
Nothing to see here....

Because at least 1% of Windows users are capable of installing the OS themselves.

Re:Could use it in the future

[Ultracrepidarian]

and if they collect it, our government will demand access to it.

Re:Disable it!

[ThatsMyNick]

How hard would it be to do it locally (like every other anti-malware/antivirus tool does)? If so why choose to do it remotely?

Re:Disable it!

[king neckbeard]

Most users do not install their own OS, and being on by default is problematic.

Re:Disable it!

[Anonymous Coward]

That happens here when you legitimately defend Microsoft.

They said "don't", but not "won't"

[AliasMarlowe]

From TFS and TFA:

The article quotes a Microsoft spokesperson as saying: "We don’t use this data to identify, contact or target advertising to our users and we don’t share it with third parties."

Now, if they had said "don't and won't", then that would mean something. Just saying "don't" means they don't do it today with no guarantee about what they might do with all that data at some future date. Color me unimpressed.

A quibbler might also note that the spokesperson only mentioned the data itself, not results extracted from it. Color me unimpressed yet again.