4 ms·
Moreover it's "opt-out" and not "opt-in": > A new metrics collection setting will be added to the privacy page in gnome-initial-setup and also to the privacy p
by CaptArmchair 3y ago
Moreover it's "opt-out" and not "opt-in":
> A new metrics collection setting will be added to the privacy page in
gnome-initial-setup and also to the privacy page in
gnome-control-center. This setting will be a toggle that will enable
or disable metrics collection for the entire system. We want to ensure
that metrics are never submitted to Fedora without the user's
knowledge and consent, so the underlying setting will be off by
default in order to ensure metrics upload is not unexpectedly turned
on when upgrading from an older version of Fedora. However, we also
want to ensure that the data we collect is meaningful, so
gnome-initial-setup will default to displaying the toggle as enabled,
even though the underlying setting will initially be disabled. (The
underlying setting will not actually be enabled until the user
finishes the privacy page, to ensure users have the opportunity to
disable the setting before any data is uploaded.) This is to ensure
the system is opt-out, not opt-in. This is essential because we know
that opt-in metrics are not very useful. Few users would opt in, and
these users would not be representative of Fedora users as a whole. We
are not interested in opt-in metrics.
Those last three lines are essentially adding insult to injury. I have no problem with telemetry, I do have a problem with telemetry being on "by default" as it puts the burden of safeguarding privacy squarely with the user. As an individual you have to make sure the toggle is set to "off" yourself, and assume that telemetry really is switched off.
Back in february, the Go project proposed to add opt-out telemetry in the Go toolchain and they were almost torn in half over a weekend.
- jacquesm 3y ago> Back in february, the Go project proposed to add opt-out telemetry in the Go toolchain and they were almost torn in half over a weekend. Rightly so.
- denton-scratch 3y ago> This is to ensure the system is opt-out, not opt-in. It totally fails to ensure that. The underlying setting is off, but if you don't take deliberate action on installation, it gets switched on. It might as well be on unless you act to switch it off. The meaning of "opt-in" was settled a long time ago; it means that if you don't take deliberate (and informed) action to opt-in, then you haven't opted in. [Edit] Sorry, mis-read parent comment. They're trying to say it's opt-in, but the proposal is to make an opt-out UI, with an underlying off setting that gets set to $SOMETHING at installation, defaulting to on.