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Pretty odd comment, considering Windows 10 does a lot of tracking and ads. > Windows 10 Collects Activity Data Even When Tracking Is Disabled, But You Can Bloc

by ipsum2 8y ago

Pretty odd comment, considering Windows 10 does a lot of tracking and ads. > Windows 10 Collects Activity Data Even When Tracking Is Disabled, But You Can Block It https://lifehacker.com/windows-10-collects-activity-data-even-when-tracking-is-1831054394 https://lifehacker.com/windows-10-collects-activity-data-eve... > We also display advertising in some services, and we’d prefer to show you ads you find interesting. https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows10privacy https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows10privacy And the numerous steps you have to take to improve your privacy: https://github.com/adolfintel/Windows10-Privacy https://github.com/adolfintel/Windows10-Privacy

lubujackson 8y ago
I don't see what's odd about the comment. For core philosophy, Google has always about using an algorithm instead of manual labor whenever possible. The mindset they push to developers is always to "think at Google scale". Customer service has 100% been crappy with Google from day 1, and on purpose. This GDPR situation is political and messy and hits them very much in their weak spot. Microsoft came from (and continued to focus on) the business market, which is all about big deals and playing ball. The entire concept of Windows was meant to bridge the business market with the home market and they've had split business/home pricing for most of their products forever. Yes, Microsoft also sucks at privacy and has been evil forever like all of these amorphous businesses that reach their tendrils as far and wide as profitable. But selling ads (and privacy) is just another revenue stream for Microsoft, not their core product. And don't forget that Hacker News' favorite search engine, DDG, is based on Bing. Microsoft doesn't really care about privacy but also doesn't really care about ads - they just want money.
emn13 8y ago
As it pertains to this complaint though, those are all seem less relevant than the issue of well... plain non-compliance? I mean, if they didn't even have a DPO... Still, let's not overstate this "recordbreaking" fine. It's not large, at all. It's only of a fraction of profits (not revenue) in France alone. Even if google fully expected to take this hit, it might not have bothered to change its behavior. The fine, by itself, has no impact on google's business. The greater risk, really, is that they've got a record now: if they get caught again, they'll be more likely to suffer more punitive measures that really are relevant to its core business. Also, they come across as slightly incompetent, really: I'm kind of surprised such a huge organization didn't bother to prepare very well. I mean, for some the law might have come as a surprise, but it's not been unannounced, and it sure looks like google - amongst others might even count as the law's raison d'etre. How exactly did they miss that?
- chopin 8y ago
  Legally, they can't pay the fine and continue their behavior. It's not a cost of doing business as you are required to alter your behavior.
  - emn13 8y ago
    Exactly. The fine is basically a token at this point; it's the potential for followup that matters.

by ipsum2 8y ago

lubujackson 8y ago

I don't see what's odd about the comment. For core philosophy, Google has always about using an algorithm instead of manual labor whenever possible. The mindset they push to developers is always to "think at Google scale". Customer service has 100% been crappy with Google from day 1, and on purpose. This GDPR situation is political and messy and hits them very much in their weak spot. Microsoft came from (and continued to focus on) the business market, which is all about big deals and playing ball. The entire concept of Windows was meant to bridge the business market with the home market and they've had split business/home pricing for most of their products forever. Yes, Microsoft also sucks at privacy and has been evil forever like all of these amorphous businesses that reach their tendrils as far and wide as profitable. But selling ads (and privacy) is just another revenue stream for Microsoft, not their core product. And don't forget that Hacker News' favorite search engine, DDG, is based on Bing. Microsoft doesn't really care about privacy but also doesn't really care about ads - they just want money.

emn13 8y ago

As it pertains to this complaint though, those are all seem less relevant than the issue of well... plain non-compliance? I mean, if they didn't even have a DPO... Still, let's not overstate this "recordbreaking" fine. It's not large, at all. It's only of a fraction of profits (not revenue) in France alone. Even if google fully expected to take this hit, it might not have bothered to change its behavior. The fine, by itself, has no impact on google's business. The greater risk, really, is that they've got a record now: if they get caught again, they'll be more likely to suffer more punitive measures that really are relevant to its core business. Also, they come across as slightly incompetent, really: I'm kind of surprised such a huge organization didn't bother to prepare very well. I mean, for some the law might have come as a surprise, but it's not been unannounced, and it sure looks like google - amongst others might even count as the law's raison d'etre. How exactly did they miss that?

chopin 8y ago
Legally, they can't pay the fine and continue their behavior. It's not a cost of doing business as you are required to alter your behavior.
- emn13 8y ago
  Exactly. The fine is basically a token at this point; it's the potential for followup that matters.