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Microsoft Responds To Allegations That Windows 10 Collects 'Excessive Personal Data' (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the boilerplate-statements dept.

BetaNews's Mark Wilson writes: Yesterday France's National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) slapped a formal order on Microsoft to comply with data protection laws after it found Windows 10 was collecting "excessive data" about users. The company has been given three months to meet the demands or it will face fines. Microsoft has now responded, saying it is happy to work with the CNIL to work towards an acceptable solution. Interestingly, while not denying the allegations set against it, the company does nothing to defend the amount of data collected by Windows 10, and also fails to address the privacy concerns it raises. Microsoft does address concerns about the transfer of data between Europe and the US, saying that while the Safe Harbor agreement is no longer valid, the company still complied with it up until the adoption of Privacy Shield. It's interesting to see that Microsoft, in response to a series of complaints very clearly leveled at Windows 10, manages to mention the operating system only once. There is the promise of a statement about privacy next week, but for now we have Microsoft's response to the CNIL's order.

9 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. As a frog, I do not care by For+a+Free+Internet · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I am a superior animal and all my data attests to this fact.

    Toads, on the other hand, have something to hide.

    --
    UNITE with the Campaign for a Free Internet because today, our future begins with tomorrow!
  2. Got that, Microsoft shills? by LichtSpektren · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Even Microsoft themselves aren't denying Windows 10 is a spy machine.

    All of you who said that the privacy concerns were just FUD or that it's simple to turn off the surveillance, time to eat your crow.

    1. Re:Got that, Microsoft shills? by sexconker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Anything running in Windows 10 is useless for stopping Windows 10 from phoning home. Windows 10 bypasses the firewall and HOSTS file when shipping off your data.

    2. Re:Got that, Microsoft shills? by chipschap · · Score: 5, Insightful

      last time MS responded, the data collected was no more than what you search engine collects. It was definitively less harmful than the data your GPS or cell phone carrier collects. Christ, your credit card, your bank and your air miles card have far more important data

      You've clearly demonstrated what's wrong: way too many organizations collect way too much data, and there's little we can do about most of it short of withdrawing from society.

      You also said no one has been particularly harmed by this. I can't argue this either way, but what is harmed is our right to have a private life. To some of us that still means something.

  3. They didn't really respond by Shadow+IT+Ninja · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From TFA, it sounds like the headline here should be more like "Microsoft Acknowledges But Does Not Respond To Allegations That Windows 10 Collects Excessive Personal Data."

    1. Re:They didn't really respond by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Wow, what a fucking shock: a multi-billion dollar company doing business in nearly every country around the world requires more than 24 hours to make a substantive response that's been properly vetted by their legal department to a governmental order involving possible fines and other legal sanctions.

      You'd think that the CEO of Microsoft could just, you know, whip up a quick 140-character tweet clearing the thing up within an hour of being notified of the legal action. I mean, it's not like you want to be very careful when punitive fines and sanctions are on the line, or anything.

      Fucking retard.

    2. Re:They didn't really respond by ausekilis · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Wow, what a fucking shock: a multi-billion dollar company doing business in nearly every country around the world requires more than 24 hours to make a substantive response that's been properly vetted by their legal department to a governmental order involving possible fines and other legal sanctions.

      You'd think that the CEO of Microsoft could just, you know, whip up a quick 140-character tweet clearing the thing up within an hour of being notified of the legal action. I mean, it's not like you want to be very careful when punitive fines and sanctions are on the line, or anything.

      Fucking retard.

      You must be forgetting that Windows 10 has been out for a year and under constant public criticism about their data collection/retention/usage policies. Considering Microsoft, Google, Apple and Amazon have been under fire for the Safe Harbor agreement, Microsoft should have seen the inquiry coming a mile away. While it's true any response needs to be vetted to PR and Legal, you'd think they'd at least have some canned statements at-the-ready.

      Given how public this botnet/mass surveillance/skynet of Windows 10 data collection is, I'm surprised it took this long for a Gov agency to speak up.

    3. Re:They didn't really respond by MtHuurne · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Exactly. The core issue is that Windows 10 is collecting personal information that is not required for the functioning of the OS or the services it provides to the user. There doesn't have to be a discussion over where Microsoft stores the information, since they shouldn't be collecting it in the first place.

  4. Solution: Show us the source code by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hey MS

    If you want to _prove_ your innocence then show the source code so we can audit what, when, where, data is being collected.

    Because you have ZERO trust at this point.

    What's that? Have "faith" in you? BWUAHA. Fuck your arrogance and spying. PROVE IT.