> I think having a law to require MS to allow offline set-up by all users would be an overreach Honestly, no - it wouldn't be considering that for many decades

> I think having a law to require MS to allow offline set-up by all users would be an overreach Honestly, no - it wouldn't be considering that for many decades we could use Windows without being connected to Microsoft cloud services. At the moment MS is "only" enforcing an online account during OOBE.* The next step will be an unavoidable Windows-as-as-service product with "subscribe to remove ads and unlock xyz feature" - that's the goal they're heading for years. They could do as simple as having two versions of OS: Windows Free with ads, telemetry, mandatory online account and a paid Windows Pro with all these limitations gone, with an offline account and more control for the end-user. And that's what the regulators, govt's agencies should really make happen. Sadly they prefer working over content scanning and damaging encryption, violating our privacy while pleasing entertainment industry with wild goose-chasing pirates. [*] - last time I check in W10, singing out right after OOBE and reverting to a local account still puts residual traces all around the profile to the point that you never are truly signed out.