14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10’s privacy saga is far from over, and despite the fact that Microsoft remains quite tight-lipped on this, there are users out there who’re still concerned about their privacy in the new OS, and software developers who are building apps to block data collection.
And last but not least, there are analysts who struggle to find a reason for Microsoft’s privacy-invading features that are all enabled by default in Windows 10.
Technology analyst Carmi Levy has a very interesting view on this never-ending privacy case, explaining that Microsoft decided to enable all the data collecting services in Windows 10 because the operating system is free. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch, Levy points out.
“Most people see a free service like Facebook or Twitter and they assume that it has absolutely no strings attached,” he said. “We pay with our data, we pay with our personal information.”
Not Microsoft’s intent
The analyst suggests that Microsoft has found a different way to monetize Windows 10, so that’s why it offers it free of charge to consumers.
But that’s clearly not Microsoft’s intent, as the software giant guarantees that data collected from users’ computers is not by any means used for something else than improving its own services.
So yes, Redmond might be looking at what you type and what apps you’re using, but this is only because the company wants to understand how it can improve its apps to better tackle your needs. At the same time, options to disable data collection services are there in Windows 10, but the biggest problem is that Windows 10 seems to be phoning home even when these settings are disabled.
Needless to say, this privacy saga isn’t really helpful for a company that’s trying to get closer to its users and work together on developing, testing, and releasing new software.