Test Version Windows 10 Includes Keylogger

wabrandsma writes From WinBeta: "One of the more interesting bits of data the company is collecting is text entered. Some are calling this a keylogger within the Windows 10 Technical Preview, which isn't good news. Taking a closer look at the Privacy Policy for the Windows Insider Program, it looks like Microsoft may be collecting a lot more feedback from you behind the scenes. Microsoft collects information about you, your devices, applications and networks, and your use of those devices, applications and networks. Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device configuration and sensor data; and application usage." This isn't the only thing Microsoft is collecting from Insider Program participants. According to the Privacy Policy, the company is collecting things like text inputted into the operating system, the details of any/all files on your system, voice input and program information.

Comments

Yeah

[ceide2000]

I shall pray to my new overlord!!! How long till the goverment demands that data to protect our children from terrorists?

What do you expect?

[TheRaven64]

It's an early test program. The entire reason that it exists is to see how people use it, whether the UI decisions make sense, and what the designers overlooked. It is not intended for normal use and it is not intended for production environments.

Re:What do you expect?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's an early test program. The entire reason that it exists is to see how people use it, whether the UI decisions make sense, and what the designers overlooked. It is not intended for normal use and it is not intended for production environments.

The nature of the data collection will force the collected data to be skewed, because nobody in their right mind will put their "real" stuff on that machine, so they won't end up using it in a normal manner.

Re:What do you expect?

[wisnoskij]

This. What would even be the point of releasing a test version of windows if they were not tracking what you do?

Re:What do you expect?

[TheRaven64]

purpose of testing is to collect data about the system itself and how it operates in end user environments; this is collecting information about the end users themselves rather than just the machine

How long does it take a user to find the correct button to dismiss a dialog? How many users use keyboard navigation rather than the mouse to navigate dialogs? How many times do the people who do use keyboard navigation hit tab without typing doing anything that would modify the field? All of these things require a keylogger (or a camera pointed at the screen) to find out and give valuable data when designing a UI. You'd hope that there's something client side that filters out anything that might be a password and aggregates some of the data, but it's all information about the end user that you need to collect to do a good job at UI design.

You can't collect it about all end users from production code without making the product unusable, so you put out testing releases that do collect it.

Re:What do you expect?

[Bob9113]

What do you expect?

Informed consent; a condition not satisfied by something buried in dozens of pages of legal boilerplate. "We're watching everything you do" is not something that falls into reasonable expectation, even for an early test program. Requiring consent as a condition of use may be fine; failing to place a large, explicit notice on screen is utterly disrespectful to the user and an unconscionable violation of the most basic security practices.

Re:What do you expect?

[r_naked]

Absolutely there is justification for this, and as has been pointed out MANY times on this thread already, THEY MAKE IT VERY CLEAR.

* Install it in a VM
* Don't visit your normal sites / "private" sites that you don't want MS (or whoever) to know about
* Create new accounts for any site that you don't care that they know you visit, but you don't want them to have your login credential.

I mean this is brain dead stupid obvious shit...

I am running it because I WANT MS to get that feedback. I don't want them to be tracking my normal usage though.

I have switched to Linux Mint after the Win8 fiasco, but I don't want to see MS fail. They keep me in business, so I want to give them as much feedback as possible.

This whole article is a non-issue if you pay attention to what you are agreeing to. *sigh*

-- Brian

Re:So no company is going to install it?

[benjymouse]

Tell me what larger corporation concerned about information control is going to accept anything close to that?

Don't install the preview version for production purposes then.

This is telemetry from the preview version. You explicitly accept the telemetry when you join the preview program.

If a larger corporation does not like that, even for testing purposes, then they can simply wait for the final (RTM) version.

Because they says they can doesn't mean they will

[Dorianny]

This is all speculation based on the privacy policy. To my knowledge no one has done any research to find out exactly what data. if any besides Crash Reports, Microsoft is actually collecting.

Re:"This isn't a permanent feature"

[Anonymous Coward]

Any decent software company that does usability testing (and more companies need to be doing this) also tracks everything the user does. If it's done in a lab, there's also eye tracking and video recording of the subject. They'd be something wrong if Microsoft wasn't tracking these things. Even a lot of websites track mouse movements and clicks across their entire site, at least here it's a test release of the OS. Go back to college and retake your usability course, or are you a self taught master who didn't have time for that nonsense?

A dedicated firewall will detect any leaks. There's no indication that this feature is being abused and there's already evidence that those agencies have no problem dropping their own key loggers onto people's computers. They don't need this. The amount of info it's sending back would be too noticeable to anyone who looked.

People seem to forget that advanced features such as good handwriting recognition and voice recognition only work because of the massive user base that is actively providing samples every time they use the software. Check out any of the local versions, they all suck compared to the services with millions and millions of samples used to actively train and update them.

Re: Friends

[Nyder]

Windows is a great OS. What they're whining about is what a pre-alpha test version of the software collects. Test versions always deliver far more telemetry than would a retail release, as they should. Windows 10 right now is not for regular daily use or for consumers. It's purely about evaluation and helping designers test the new OS and improve it.

How much do you get paid to do these posts?

Re:"This isn't a permanent feature"

[BarbaraHudson]

Any bets that MS will "forget" to turn this off in the RTM?

If it weren't turned off in the RTM version, people would figure it out within a few hours. It's not like everyone's going to accept Microsoft's statement at face value, so they'll be logging packets, etc. Microsoft knows this.

Re: Friends

[BarbaraHudson]

It's the same key - there's only one. This is handy for people who didn't bother to write it down, screw up the install, and need to re-install without going "where did I put the **** key!" It's not like Microsoft is worried that people are going to pirate something that's free. Quite the contrary - they want to get it into as many hands as possible, since the preview is also a marketing tool.

Re: So no company is going to install it?

[Lunix Nutcase]

This is TEST software.

I run test software all the time. Not a single one of them sends back all my keystrokes. Stop making asinine excuses for shitty behavior.

Re: Friends

[Anonymous Coward]

Because different functionalities and different run levels can be triggered by different keys, you fucking retard.