Windows 10 and GDPR

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I’m not sure if Rants is the right place to post this but I think it is a good place to start (feel free to move/duplicate this elsewhere).

Either I’m looking in the wrong places or the internet seems oddly quiet about Windows 10’s telemetry/data collection and the new European GDPR compliance. One summary I read of the requirements is for any form of data collection to be “specific, granular, clear, prominent, opt-in, properly documented and easily withdrawn.” Almost none of this is the case with Windows 10 telemetry.

Is there somewhere which describes a clear indication of how Microsoft intends to abide by the new laws or otherwise any documented reasons why they aren’t being chased or penalised for not abiding by it?

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Elly

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https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trustcenter/Privacy/GDPR

 

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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I guess we can draw the conclusion that Microsoft isn’t collecting any personal information when they do telemetry, at least when you set it to the lowest collection level. I’m not sure how else they could pass muster with the GDPR.

Personally, I’ve never believed that they collected much personal information; I’ve always believed that their purpose in collecting data was to fix bugs and security problems with Windows 10, etc.

Compare Microsoft to Google: Google basically gives everything away, and implants listening “devices” in all of their stuff. And they pay just about every web site out there to implant these listening “devices” on their web site. They then make a bundle of cash from all of the knowledge that they gain. Microsoft, on the other hand, doesn’t give away much; you have to pay to use most of their products. Microsoft is making a fortune on selling their products to the corporate world — that is their business model. They don’t follow the Google business model.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Does Microsoft offer anything in the way of any recommendation of software (you refer to them as apps, maybe) – – – do they offer any sort of recommendations? I ask because I thought I remembered back when I was involved in some sort of Windows 10 testing program a bit back that there was something about they would offer something-or-other based upon your activities or use of the OS platform.

I’m very likely forgetting things, so I ask. In fact, as I type this I am not remembering how long ago that testing thing was. Not very long ago, right?

P.S. I better explain something, if I am to be around here again, I forget things these days because of a medicine routine I have to follow due to blood cancer. Don’t be needing any ‘sorry-for-you’ stuff – – – really – no need – – – but it is a good idea to warn folks I can forget stuff because of all the nasty pills I have to take. And man that steroid stuff kicks butt when doing the 6-round chemotherapy bit.

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Elly, Kirsty

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Well. Guess this should answer some questions…
https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3066418/microsofts-office-data-telemetry-breaches-gdpr

Microsoft seems to be collecting subject lines from emails and full sentences that are run through a spelling and grammar checker or the translation tool

So… Windows 10 might have but Office certainly didn’t pass muster. Microsoft might have a little problem here.

I’m sure they’ll find it easier, technically, to issue an update to stop automatic telemetry collection than to provide the required documentation for data already gathered… but they’re still required to do the latter as well, anyway.

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Elly

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Oh, and on a more detailed reading, it seems that Windows 10 Enterprise might not have quite good enough with default settings either – what was tested was the Dutch government desktop setup.

Therefore any differences between W10 Enterprise and Pro, or even Home, certainly would’ve been outside the scope of that particular assessment.

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