4 ms·

Windows 10 China Government Edition allows to control encryption and telemetry

40 points by daenney 9y ago

api 9y ago
So the Chinese governments gets the privacy and security controls we want, but we don't get to turn any of this off? This looks like the most dystopian cyberpunk global corporate state-- mass surveillance for the masses, privacy and security opt-outs for the elite and governments.
- thoth 9y ago
  No kidding. What about US customers that want "to manage all telemetry and updates"?
  - vkou 9y ago
    You're a captive audience, China is the next billion.
  - simplezeal 9y ago
    From the article ... "The Windows 10 China Government Edition is based on Windows 10 Enterprise Edition". AFAIK the option to control telemetry was always there for Enterprise Edition. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/configure-windows-telemetry-in-your-organization https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/confi... "IT pros can use various methods, including Group Policy and Mobile Device Management (MDM), to choose a telemetry level. If you’re using Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Education, or Windows Server 2016, the Security telemetry level is available when managing the policy. Setting the telemetry level through policy overrides users’ choices."
    - theandrewbailey 9y ago
      > AFAIK the option to control telemetry was always there for Enterprise Edition. From what I've read, it doesn't work. https://twitter.com/m8urnett/status/866353982217699328 https://twitter.com/m8urnett/status/866353982217699328
    - oridecon 9y ago
      > AFAIK the option to control telemetry was always there for Enterprise Edition. ( ) A lot ( ) All of it https://xato.net/windows-spying-and-a-twitter-rant-19203babb2e7 https://xato.net/windows-spying-and-a-twitter-rant-19203babb... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12959097 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12959097
- Arizhel 9y ago
  Yes, and I think it's a great thing. The masses need to be spied on, and I don't think it even needs to be a secret. But the funny part is that it's completely voluntary. You can opt-out any time you want, by simply abandoning Windows and choosing an alternative OS. But almost no one is going to do that; they're just going to keep using Windows with its spyware and then complaining about it like you do here.
  - codedokode 9y ago
    Maybe abandoning Windows is not easy. Cannot the problem be solved by blocking all Microsoft's networks with a firewall? Except for skype there is nothing useful anyway.
    - Arizhel 9y ago
      >Maybe abandoning Windows is not easy. The best things in life don't come easy.
    - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
      Isn't Skype in china done through a JV?
basicplus2 9y ago
Excellent! Where can I get my copy?
- walterbell 9y ago
  > Lenovo will be among the first OEMs to provide hardware with Windows 10 China Government Edition preinstalled. eBay?
Macuyiko 9y ago
> Windows had been banned from Chinese government computers in 2014 amid concerns about security and US surveillance. Really? Which ones? I see Windows running in the police station, DMV, ... "Government" is a quite broad term. What do they use instead? Ubuntu Kylin or their internally developed Linux?
- ethbro 9y ago
  I'd imagine the ban was much more of a political stick to bring Microsoft to heel than an actual change in policy. In short though: thanks, NSA, for providing exactly the argument authoritarian nations around the world were looking for in order to meddle with US software.
  - subterfudge44 9y ago
    I think this would have happened irrespective of NSA's policies.
- jaclaz 9y ago
  Reportedly starting with Windows 8: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/05/china-bans-windows-8-on-government-pcs-to-ensure-security/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/05/china... http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/why-china-banned-windows-8/ http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/why-china-banned-windows-8/ Maybe you can get a better understanding/verify from the original Chinese source: http://www.zycg.gov.cn/article/show/242846 http://www.zycg.gov.cn/article/show/242846
  - Macuyiko 9y ago
    Yeah, that last report specifically refers to Windows 8, in the context of energy savings (typical Chinese style, but still a mention of Windows 8, so I guess the Windows XPs, 7s and 10s would not fall under this). Anyway, lot of generalization going on from the original article without clear grasp on the specifics in the field in China, as always.
- Markoff 9y ago

40 points by daenney 9y ago

api 9y ago

So the Chinese governments gets the privacy and security controls we want, but we don't get to turn any of this off? This looks like the most dystopian cyberpunk global corporate state-- mass surveillance for the masses, privacy and security opt-outs for the elite and governments.

thoth 9y ago
No kidding. What about US customers that want "to manage all telemetry and updates"?
- vkou 9y ago
  You're a captive audience, China is the next billion.
- simplezeal 9y ago
  From the article ... "The Windows 10 China Government Edition is based on Windows 10 Enterprise Edition". AFAIK the option to control telemetry was always there for Enterprise Edition. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/configure-windows-telemetry-in-your-organization https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/confi... "IT pros can use various methods, including Group Policy and Mobile Device Management (MDM), to choose a telemetry level. If you’re using Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Education, or Windows Server 2016, the Security telemetry level is available when managing the policy. Setting the telemetry level through policy overrides users’ choices."
  - theandrewbailey 9y ago
    > AFAIK the option to control telemetry was always there for Enterprise Edition. From what I've read, it doesn't work. https://twitter.com/m8urnett/status/866353982217699328 https://twitter.com/m8urnett/status/866353982217699328
  - oridecon 9y ago
    > AFAIK the option to control telemetry was always there for Enterprise Edition. ( ) A lot ( ) All of it https://xato.net/windows-spying-and-a-twitter-rant-19203babb2e7 https://xato.net/windows-spying-and-a-twitter-rant-19203babb... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12959097 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12959097
Arizhel 9y ago
Yes, and I think it's a great thing. The masses need to be spied on, and I don't think it even needs to be a secret. But the funny part is that it's completely voluntary. You can opt-out any time you want, by simply abandoning Windows and choosing an alternative OS. But almost no one is going to do that; they're just going to keep using Windows with its spyware and then complaining about it like you do here.
- codedokode 9y ago
  Maybe abandoning Windows is not easy. Cannot the problem be solved by blocking all Microsoft's networks with a firewall? Except for skype there is nothing useful anyway.
  - Arizhel 9y ago
    >Maybe abandoning Windows is not easy. The best things in life don't come easy.
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    Isn't Skype in china done through a JV?

basicplus2 9y ago

Excellent! Where can I get my copy?

walterbell 9y ago
> Lenovo will be among the first OEMs to provide hardware with Windows 10 China Government Edition preinstalled. eBay?

Macuyiko 9y ago

> Windows had been banned from Chinese government computers in 2014 amid concerns about security and US surveillance. Really? Which ones? I see Windows running in the police station, DMV, ... "Government" is a quite broad term. What do they use instead? Ubuntu Kylin or their internally developed Linux?

ethbro 9y ago
I'd imagine the ban was much more of a political stick to bring Microsoft to heel than an actual change in policy. In short though: thanks, NSA, for providing exactly the argument authoritarian nations around the world were looking for in order to meddle with US software.
- subterfudge44 9y ago
  I think this would have happened irrespective of NSA's policies.
jaclaz 9y ago
Reportedly starting with Windows 8: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/05/china-bans-windows-8-on-government-pcs-to-ensure-security/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/05/china... http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/why-china-banned-windows-8/ http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/why-china-banned-windows-8/ Maybe you can get a better understanding/verify from the original Chinese source: http://www.zycg.gov.cn/article/show/242846 http://www.zycg.gov.cn/article/show/242846
- Macuyiko 9y ago
  Yeah, that last report specifically refers to Windows 8, in the context of energy savings (typical Chinese style, but still a mention of Windows 8, so I guess the Windows XPs, 7s and 10s would not fall under this). Anyway, lot of generalization going on from the original article without clear grasp on the specifics in the field in China, as always.
Markoff 9y ago