> If you don't use voice or ink, why are you worried about sharing your voice and ink data with Microsoft? For what it's worth, I don't think this is a fair as

> If you don't use voice or ink, why are you worried about sharing your voice and ink data with Microsoft? For what it's worth, I don't think this is a fair assessment. Sure, with ink data, you actually need a tablet or some kind of input device in order for Microsoft to collect and send data. But almost every laptop or off-the-shelf computer nowadays comes with a microphone, and they will be more ubiquitous now that voice recognition and input is becoming more accepted by the general populace. The problem then, is that the microphone is _always_ on, and could potentially send _everything_ you say, or could listen in at any given moment. The problem is that with voice data, the feature 1) can't be inspected and 2) will send data, even if you never use the service. Most important here is the latter point: I shouldn't be subject to the terms and conditions of using a service if I am not using a service. By not agreeing to the terms and conditions, I don't get to use the service (Cortana). If I'm fine with that, and don't want to use that service, then the terms and conditions of my data being sent to Microsoft should not apply to me (i.e. my data should not be sent). Doing otherwise is shady behaviour, regardless of your opinion on the usefulness or nefariousness of the feature in question.