5 ms·

The article you linked points to an online Microsoft Account Privacy dashboard. I have Windows 10 installed with a local login. I don't have or want an online

The article you linked points to an online Microsoft Account Privacy dashboard. I have Windows 10 installed with a local login. I don't have or want an online Microsoft account. It doesn't seem to be possible to disable telemetry in this case, or at least I haven't found out an (officially supported) way to do it.

mbesto 8y ago
^ I'm genuinely curious about this as well. Can anyone at MS clarify?
bradford 8y ago
Bottom line, if MS is going to show you telemetry data that's been gathered, they've got to know its you that they've gathered it from, so authentication has to occur. Without going into details, it's hard enough to do this with an online account, and quite impossible for local logon scenarios, and getting it wrong opens up possibilities for malicious actors. So, that's why the privacy dashboard requires a Microsoft account. Best information I can provide on limiting telemetry for the local logon scenario is here: https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-feedback-diagnostics-and-privacy https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-feedback-diag... I realize that setting it to 'basic' isn't going to satisfy the conspiratorial minded among us, but I will say that I, personally, have no qualms setting my machine to 'basic'. More details, and instructions to disable via regedit following the instructions here: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-opt-out-customer-experience-improvement-program-windows-10 https://www.windowscentral.com/how-opt-out-customer-experien...
- justinclift 8y ago
  Hang on, are you seriously saying people need to create a MS online account just in order to tell their own computer to NOT send data to MS? That's ridiculous. There should be an obvious friggin question during install "Enable telemetry and data collection?" and if the answer is no... that's it. No telemetry or data collection gets done. Ever. End of story and question doesn't get asked again. Ever. Any other approach is literally just weasel words trying to deceive people. "Just manually change this RegKey setting" is a good example.
  - bradford 8y ago
    No, I'm saying that if you want to view or delete the data that MS has collected, you need an MSA. If you want to downgrade/disable it, you follow the instructions in the links provided.
- danarmak 8y ago
  > Bottom line, if MS is going to show you telemetry data that's been gathered, they've got to know its you that they've gathered it from, so authentication has to occur. I understand that. I just want to stop sending data from now on. > I realize that setting it to 'basic' isn't going to satisfy the conspiratorial minded among us I want no private or personal data to be sent. Calling me "conspiratorial-minded' is simply wrong. There isn't a conspiracy that Microsoft is collecting data about Windows 10 machines; it's an admitted fact, it was never secret. And I would prefer not to send such data, but Microsoft doesn't want to give me that option. There is no official information on what data is gathered under the Basic setting. The page you linked to has just one sentence, and it's very vague: > information about your device, its settings and capabilities, and whether it is performing properly "Information about your device" could cover a lot indeed. What information does this collect that's covered under GDPR? How has it changed, and will change, over time? Who has access to it? I don't know. That doesn't make me a conspiracy theorist. I don't buy the Microsoft claim from the same page that "This is the minimum level of diagnostic data needed to help keep your device reliable, secure, and operating normally.". It can't be impossible for Windows 10 to be reliable or secure without sending data home. It's evidently not impossible for the Enterprise edition. I accept that this data helps Microsoft do these things, but it should still be my choice as to whether to send it or not, and my right to know what's included in it. And now the law says so too, at least in the EU. The Dutch DPA already determined Microsoft to be in violation of the GDPR a year ago (https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/news/dutch-dpa-microsoft-breaches-data-protection-law-windows-10 https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/news/dutch-dpa-micr...). I don't know about more recent developments there. But this isn't just a few private individuals' opinion. > More details, and instructions to disable via regedit Those are not official Microsoft instructions or documented settings. Windows updates have been known to revert them, and (separately) to require changes to the instructions. Messing with the Registry and disabling system services might have other effects beyond the desired. This is not a satisfactory solution, exactly because I do care about "keep[ing] your device reliable, secure, and operating normally".
  - bradford 8y ago
    Ok, I'll admit mistakes on my original post. The regedit method clearly isn't seen as a suitable fix for the broad population, and 'basic' telemetry isn't the same as 'no' telemetry. Some other points: > I want no private or personal data to be sent I would say that none is sent on basic, but the definition of 'private or personal' is overloaded enough that we might disagree. > Calling me "conspiratorial-minded' is simply wrong Sorry, I didn't call you that, just a hypothetical broader population. Probably bad wording on my part either way. > There is no official information on what data is gathered under the Basic setting. There is. Lots more info here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-w... The best way to see what's gathered would be to sign up for an MSA, enable basic telemetry, and then go to the privacy account page and view it yourself. > The Dutch DPA already determined Microsoft to be in violation of the GDPR a year ago Not sure what to make of this since most US companies targeted compliance for May 2018, nor does that article mention the GDPR. > Those are not official Microsoft instructions or documented settings. Point taken, you're right :)

mbesto 8y ago

^ I'm genuinely curious about this as well. Can anyone at MS clarify?

bradford 8y ago

Bottom line, if MS is going to show you telemetry data that's been gathered, they've got to know its you that they've gathered it from, so authentication has to occur. Without going into details, it's hard enough to do this with an online account, and quite impossible for local logon scenarios, and getting it wrong opens up possibilities for malicious actors. So, that's why the privacy dashboard requires a Microsoft account. Best information I can provide on limiting telemetry for the local logon scenario is here: https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-feedback-diagnostics-and-privacy https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-feedback-diag... I realize that setting it to 'basic' isn't going to satisfy the conspiratorial minded among us, but I will say that I, personally, have no qualms setting my machine to 'basic'. More details, and instructions to disable via regedit following the instructions here: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-opt-out-customer-experience-improvement-program-windows-10 https://www.windowscentral.com/how-opt-out-customer-experien...

justinclift 8y ago
Hang on, are you seriously saying people need to create a MS online account just in order to tell their own computer to NOT send data to MS? That's ridiculous. There should be an obvious friggin question during install "Enable telemetry and data collection?" and if the answer is no... that's it. No telemetry or data collection gets done. Ever. End of story and question doesn't get asked again. Ever. Any other approach is literally just weasel words trying to deceive people. "Just manually change this RegKey setting" is a good example.
- bradford 8y ago
  No, I'm saying that if you want to view or delete the data that MS has collected, you need an MSA. If you want to downgrade/disable it, you follow the instructions in the links provided.
danarmak 8y ago
> Bottom line, if MS is going to show you telemetry data that's been gathered, they've got to know its you that they've gathered it from, so authentication has to occur. I understand that. I just want to stop sending data from now on. > I realize that setting it to 'basic' isn't going to satisfy the conspiratorial minded among us I want no private or personal data to be sent. Calling me "conspiratorial-minded' is simply wrong. There isn't a conspiracy that Microsoft is collecting data about Windows 10 machines; it's an admitted fact, it was never secret. And I would prefer not to send such data, but Microsoft doesn't want to give me that option. There is no official information on what data is gathered under the Basic setting. The page you linked to has just one sentence, and it's very vague: > information about your device, its settings and capabilities, and whether it is performing properly "Information about your device" could cover a lot indeed. What information does this collect that's covered under GDPR? How has it changed, and will change, over time? Who has access to it? I don't know. That doesn't make me a conspiracy theorist. I don't buy the Microsoft claim from the same page that "This is the minimum level of diagnostic data needed to help keep your device reliable, secure, and operating normally.". It can't be impossible for Windows 10 to be reliable or secure without sending data home. It's evidently not impossible for the Enterprise edition. I accept that this data helps Microsoft do these things, but it should still be my choice as to whether to send it or not, and my right to know what's included in it. And now the law says so too, at least in the EU. The Dutch DPA already determined Microsoft to be in violation of the GDPR a year ago (https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/news/dutch-dpa-microsoft-breaches-data-protection-law-windows-10 https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/news/dutch-dpa-micr...). I don't know about more recent developments there. But this isn't just a few private individuals' opinion. > More details, and instructions to disable via regedit Those are not official Microsoft instructions or documented settings. Windows updates have been known to revert them, and (separately) to require changes to the instructions. Messing with the Registry and disabling system services might have other effects beyond the desired. This is not a satisfactory solution, exactly because I do care about "keep[ing] your device reliable, secure, and operating normally".
- bradford 8y ago
  Ok, I'll admit mistakes on my original post. The regedit method clearly isn't seen as a suitable fix for the broad population, and 'basic' telemetry isn't the same as 'no' telemetry. Some other points: > I want no private or personal data to be sent I would say that none is sent on basic, but the definition of 'private or personal' is overloaded enough that we might disagree. > Calling me "conspiratorial-minded' is simply wrong Sorry, I didn't call you that, just a hypothetical broader population. Probably bad wording on my part either way. > There is no official information on what data is gathered under the Basic setting. There is. Lots more info here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-w... The best way to see what's gathered would be to sign up for an MSA, enable basic telemetry, and then go to the privacy account page and view it yourself. > The Dutch DPA already determined Microsoft to be in violation of the GDPR a year ago Not sure what to make of this since most US companies targeted compliance for May 2018, nor does that article mention the GDPR. > Those are not official Microsoft instructions or documented settings. Point taken, you're right :)