I'm not sure if it's going to impact your trust in Windows either way, but regulators do 'wiretap' the communication sent off Windows boxes in an effort to keep

I'm not sure if it's going to impact your trust in Windows either way, but regulators do 'wiretap' the communication sent off Windows boxes in an effort to keep Microsoft compliant with law, and Microsoft is financially incentivized to be honest (at risk of hefty fines). Tech journalism is quick to print stories of malfeasance in the privacy/security area, but they've done very little to inform readers of accountability or legal obligations that are enforced by government entities. This leads to general distrust and unproductive online conversations. If you're interested in privacy/security, you should be paranoid about this stuff, but don't mistake yourself into thinking that Microsoft operates in vacuum of unaccountability. (Disclaimer, MS employee, and I have to state that this is my opinion)