Is My Privacy Being Compromised?  

Edwin said:

For goodness sake...,
Basically, nobody really gives a sh*t who you are, where you are, what you're doing or what color underwear you're wearin anyway!

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msalton1 said:

I suppose it depends on who/what he defines as unsafe. My perspective of safe/unsafe extends to multiple sources. Those who would exploit windows users and the Tech companies. IMO, we have as much to fear from one as the other.

I am on Win 7 at present until:

• I can be sure of completely disabling MS Data collection/theft
• I can be sure that Win 10 updates won't hose my system.

I'm at the beginning of investigating how/if Win 10 can be put into service in a secure, private manner. I get that win 10 gets Security updates, etc, so my major concern is protection from MS. Any links to that end would be appreciated.

I know there are those who scoff at the idea of Win 10's baked-in invasive privacy issues/data collection, but I wonder if they've considered how MS plans to profit from an OS they give away. And not only give away, but maintain and update for years to come, all absolutely "free". IMO, the user is paying for Win 10. And, since it's not monetary payment...

Additionally, being the neighborhood "tech guy", I've had opportunity to see the havoc that win 10 updates can cause, including the widespread "restoring to previous version" boot loop. The last system I took in to "clean up" turned into to completely reinstalling win 10 and all apps.

If you are a law abiding citizen, like Edwin said, why do you even fear? If MS is collecting your privacy infringing shady stuff (no one has found evidence yet, since 2015 after Windows 10's release), wouldn't so many various countries' government who use it would have sued MS in those 5 years (and still counting) them before you even get to know about it?

Sorry guys...I probably should have left the controversial comments out of my post. I'm not really looking to start a dialog about where Society is heading and the very real potential of Totalitarianism.

What I'm hoping for are leads to accurate information that will outline how to protect the user from MS data collection and privacy issues.

msalton1 said:

Sorry guys...I probably should have left the controversial comments out of my post. I'm not really looking to start a dialog about where Society is heading and the very real potential of Totalitarianism.

What I'm hoping for are leads to accurate information that will outline how to protect the user from MS data collection and privacy issues.

You can check out the data sent to Microsoft in Diagnostic Data Viewer. I haven't found any privacy-infringing stuff sent to MS, just like the Tenforums specialists have been advocating since the beginning.

RK1997 said:

Have you heard about Diagnostic Data Viewer?

Not until now. Thanks for the suggestion. I Just DDG'd it. I should have mentioned 3rd party. Some of us are paranoid, and MS policing MS strikes me as inadvisable. :)

To all: If I should start a new thread, please let me know.

I'd really be interested in reputable guides with direction on how to lock down Win 10's data collection (completely), security measures to take to protect from inside and out and recommendations for reputable, reliable and effective apps to help achieve these goals.

Although I love Win 7, I'm not opposed to moving to a new OS, I just want to be sure that I can retain privacy and security.

@msalton1, do you use an Android Device with google Account? Are you on Facebook? Are you on any other social media sites?

CannonRebel said:

Five Eyes - Wikipedia

PRISM began in 2007 in the wake of the passage of the Protect America Act under the Bush Administration.^[10][11] The program is operated under the supervision of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court, or FISC) pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).^[12] Its existence was leaked six years later by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who warned that the extent of mass data collection was far greater than the public knew and included what he characterized as "dangerous" and "criminal" activities

PRISM (surveillance program) - Wikipedia

Microsoft: "We provide customer data only when we receive a legally binding order or subpoena to do so, and never on a voluntary basis. In addition we only ever comply with orders for requests about specific accounts or identifiers. If the government has a broader voluntary national security program to gather customer data, we don't participate in it."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_...lic_statements

RK1997 said:

@msalton1, do you use an Android Device with google Account? Are you on Facebook? Are you on any other social media sites?

No Social Media whatsoever. As to Android, I root my phones in order to lock them down.

I'm not saying that Data Collection can be completely avoided (it can't), but I'm of the mind that doing as much as one can to limit the outflow of personal data can be nothing but beneficial.

CannonRebel said:

Phones are good little surveillance tools because we now carry them everywhere as we use them, compared to a desktop that stays home.

Good reason to limit what files/information you place on your phone. Also for not performing sensitive operations from your phone, i.e., logging into your bank website to review accts, banking online, purchases online.