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Apple, Microsoft Tout Their Privacy Policies To Get Positive PR
jfruh writes: Apple hasn't changed its privacy policy in more than a year — but that didn't stop the company from putting up a glossy website explaining it in layman's terms. Microsoft too has been touting its respect for its users's privacy. This doesn't represent any high-minded altruism on those companies' parts, of course; it's part of their battle against Google, their archrival that offers almost all of its services for free and makes its money mining user data.
Seriously, how dishonest can you get? It is still not clear how to disable MS snooping completely and permanently in Win10 and, as updated cannot be blocked permanently at the moment, there is a permanent risk of them stepping up the snooping at any time. And they have the gall to claim they respect their user's privacy? This is a direct and blatant insult to any of their private customers.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
Windows Phone:
- No way to use GPS locally without sending location to Microsoft
- No way to use WiFi locally without forced participation in location crowd sourcing
- No way to practically use device / install software without a Microsoft account
- No way to prevent windows phone with Microsoft account from transmitting location data to Microsoft
- No way to maintain a local address book without having it all automatically sent to Microsoft
- No way to prevent device specific identifiers from being sent (in the clear I might add) to Microsoft servers.
Windows:
- No way to prevent transmission of telemetry (Windows 10 non-enterprise SKUs)
- No way to prevent connections to MS servers (vortext, data, settings) when everything CEIP, updates, everything has been completely disabled (Windows 7)
- No way to disable automatic updates (Windows 10)
- No way to prevent CRL queries when CRL checking has been disabled (Windows 7)
- No user reachable knobs to disable mostly annoying and counterproductive NLA queries
- Disrespectful defaults and intentional UX elements such as misleading appearance of MS account requirement to trick people into using a MS account to access their local systems (windows 10)
Lies applicable to TFA:
"In the past, Windows could be thought of as software existing only on your device. Now with Windows 10, important parts of Windows are based in the cloud, interacting with online services"
This is non-specific BS to setup excuses for unacceptable privacy violations enumerated later in TFA.
"When you communicate with your friends, family, and business associates, like text messaging (SMS, MMS, etc.) on a Windows device, we have to get the content of the message to deliver it to your inbox, display it to you, enable you to reply to it, and store it for you until you delete it."
I'll leave this nonsense speak for itself.
"For real-time communications, a phone-calling app needs to know the phone number of the contact you want to reach. "
This is priceless because the calling app does not have a local store. What it really effectively means if you want to call anyone Microsoft needs to know the number.
"If you lose your phone, you can locate your Windows phone on a map using Find My Phone at https://account.microsoft.com.... Even if you have turned off all other access to the location service on the phone, this feature can still work. "
This is the problem there is no effective way to opt out even up front when initially setting up the device. The only possible option is to not associate a MS account which effectively renders the device a brick/feature phone.
I know your post is funny, but let's not overlook the opportunity to critique what is possibly the worst Slashdot article ever.
Apple, Microsoft Tout Their Privacy Policies To Get Positive PR
As opposed to all those times when companies tout thing to get negative PR?
Apple hasn't changed its privacy policy in more than a year
Okay, looking for the news here.
but that didn't stop the company from putting up a glossy website explaining it in layman's terms
Well, this is bad because... you know, because, something?
Microsoft too has been touting its respect for its users's privacy.
Link? Article? Something?
This doesn't represent any high-minded altruism on those companies' parts, of course
Of course. Because, you know, [CITATION NEEDED]
it's part of their battle against Google, their archrival that offers almost all of its services for free and makes its money mining user data.
Dear Slashdot/Dice/whoever is actually running the show, can someone actually articulate where there is actually anything to talk about here? Maybe other than stoking a clickbait + flame bait war over who loves TEH GOOOGLES vs. the homosexuals who likes TEH APPLES and the obvious shills who are the only ones who claim to like TEH MICROSOFTS omg zerg rush?
Seriously, Slashdot, WTF? What. The. Fuck? An article about how one company hasn't changed its privacy policy, and how another has... not done anything? What The. Fuck?
Look, I haven't left this site yet because I haven't found a better alternative. But you're making it harder and harder every day to justify staying here with shit like this.
"95% of all Slashdot