
Sneaky Microsoft renamed its data slurper before sticking it back in Windows 10 - SimplyUseless
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/26/microsoft_renamed_data_slurper_reinserted_windows_10/
======
drapper
OK, this looked rather scary and also rather unbelievable so I did a quick
research and unsurprisingly it turned out this is blown way out of proportion
(if not downright wrong).

The article claims DiagTrack collects "your name, email address, preferences
and interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data;
device configuration and sensor data; and application usage". That description
is credited to Microsoft itself ("As Microsoft explained"). But if you follow
the link it turns out it's not really Microsoft's explanation, but just what
some user on official Windows forum wrote. My guess: Windows Technical Preview
did (or had ability to do) that and user confused one thing with another.

Next thing, DiagTrack came to Windows (TP) via update KB3022345, so let's
check that update: [https://support.microsoft.com/en-
us/kb/3022345](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3022345)

"The Diagnostic and Telemetry service collects diagnostics information about
functional issues on Windows systems that participate in the Windows Customer
Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). CEIP reports _don 't_ contain contact
information, such as your name, address, or telephone number. This means CEIP
won't ask you to participate in surveys or to read junk email, and you won't
be contacted in any other way."

Of course, it's still possible there's some foul play here, but I'd prefer it
would be investigated first and accusations thrown later, not the other way
around.

~~~
Sophira
Years and years ago I used to read The Register, as it had good content. Now,
it's just a tabloid - a technology-oriented one, but a tabloid nevertheless.

Unless I'm mistaken, what The Register have said in the article would
constitute libel, right?

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acqq
It _has_ to be possible to turn these things off, and the users should insist
on their right to do that.

When we're there, I've seen today in some traffic I collected some regularly
occurring telemetry from Firefox. I don't remember agreeing to that.

~~~
Majestic121
Firefox asks you what you want to share when you first use it (it is a band on
the bottom).

They're definitely not hiding it, and you can change it anytime in the option.
Again, not hidden at all.

~~~
acqq
I've checked, I have "health" and "crash reporter" turned on and "telemetry"
turned off, but this connection I've observed to some server named
telemetrysomethingmozilla or something such was reestablished after every page
load.

~~~
yrro
I can only suggest you file a bug.

------
iza
> _We already knew Windows 10 Threshold deleted third-party data monitoring
> tools and cleanup tools, including stalwarts like Spybot and CCleaner. It
> even disabled Cisco’s VPN software. Just a bug, said Microsoft. Two bugs
> would be a puzzling coincidence – but something else makes it altogether
> more troubling._

I really doubt this has anything to do with the data collection.

~~~
rasz_pl
TH2 deleted every application with custom driver installed.

------
bluejekyll
So, on one hand Microsoft is starting to become a good open source player, and
then on the other it continues to abuse its users.

Nope, I still won't use your products.

~~~
bitmapbrother
If it's free you're the product. Gee, where have I heard that before? Funny,
how things boomerang back to hit you in the ass.

~~~
thecatspaw
windows 10 is only free if you have a legitimate key for 8.1

~~~
mrec
What? I have a legit install of 7, and it never bloody stops nagging me to
accept a free upgrade to 10.

~~~
J_Darnley
What do you mean you don't want it? Just look at the long list of features
mentioned in this thread that you will get if you upgrade!

------
frik
228 comments are below the article, that speaks volumes. Most people are very
angry about how Microsoft acts. The phone home spyware in recent updates for
Win7/8 and Win10 is pretty creepy and probably illegal in several countries.
It also speaks volumes how some MS employees defend their company with rather
ridiculous comments. Since the MS Build event many MS employees are on HN: if
you are one, instead of downvoting try to read the angry comments from
consumers below the article.

@Dang / HN admin: who flag such news? Or why is it already on the second page?
Can you investigate if there are some voting/flagging-ring/bots active?

~~~
pdkl95
> Most people are very angry about how Microsoft acts.

While I support people getting "mad as hell" when a business abuses their
customers, harsh words and the occasional strongly worded letter won't change
anything.

MS will continue along this path until they see their revenue dropping or
their market share shrinking. Continuing to use windows - even with the
spyware disabled - tells MS that they got away with it. They will continue
testing that threshold to see how much they can get away with. This strategy
works particularly well because memories are short and every every new release
moves the Overton Window[1].

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window)

------
ryanlol
This article is just ridiculous, the author is going out of their way to
attack microsoft instead of just reporting the facts. Terrible journalism.

>We already knew Windows 10 Threshold deleted third-party data monitoring
tools and cleanup tools, including stalwarts like Spybot and CCleaner. It even
disabled Cisco’s VPN software. Just a bug, said Microsoft.

>Two bugs would be a puzzling coincidence

What makes the existence of software bugs "puzzling"?

> The data that DiagTrack collected was typical of a spyware programme

So credit cards, passwords, etc... right?

>Examples of data we collect include your name, email address, preferences and
interests; browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device
configuration and sensor data; and application usage.

I guess not?

> The only way you knew you were being monitored was by eyeballing the list of
> running processes in Task Manager.

That doesn't sound very spyware-esque, you'd probably want to be hiding
yourself from the task manager.

~~~
ionised
> you'd probably want to be hiding yourself from the task manager.

Why?

~~~
ryanlol
Why would you want your malware visible to the user?

~~~
ry_ry
Attacking Microsoft is the done thing. They are wildly successful by any
conventional measure and have made themselves a target.

Personally I have nothing against the company, we are a .net house and I like
their current stuff Win10 is legitimately good and atm visual studio is _at
least_ on a par with intellij which I have used extensively.

So whilst I bare them no ill will they should absolutely be subject to the
highest degree of scrutiny.

Apple should too, ofc, and moreso in recent years they are. They real travesty
is that all industry leaders (and honestly, tell me windows isn't an industry
leader - it bloody /is/ an industry!) aren't held up to the same degree of
rigour as Microsoft are.

~~~
ryanlol
I'm not trying to criticise the article because it tries to attack MS, I'm
trying to criticise it because half of it simply isn't true.

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jeeva
If you read this as Connected (User Experience) and (Telemetry) service, it's
actually a far better name than the Diagnostics title it had before. And makes
perfect sense, when you assume it is for doing the minimal reporting they say
it is.

/shrugs

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CurtHagenlocher
Is this what's known as "SQM" inside of Microsoft or is it something
different?

