I don’t see anything on Thurrott.com about Microsoft Windows 10 sends activity history to Microsoft even when told not to

Conversation 15 comments

  • Paul Thurrott

    Premium Member
    14 December, 2018 - 9:19 am

    <p>Here's the Microsoft statement.</p><p><br></p><p>"Microsoft is committed to customer privacy, being transparent about the data we collect and use for your benefit, and we give you controls to manage your data. In this case, the same term 'Activity History' is used in both Windows 10 and the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. Windows 10 Activity History data is only a subset of the data displayed in the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. We are working to address this naming issue in a future update."</p><p><br></p><p>In other words, the complaint is incorrect. But this is, perhaps, another great example of Microsoft not being able to communicate effectively. Only Microsoft would name two different things with the same name. (Remember when Action Center was for security in previous Windows versions?)</p><p><br></p><p>To your point, we should have covered this, yes.</p><p><br></p>

  • FalseAgent

    14 December, 2018 - 9:49 am

    <p>paul is a microsoft shill confirmed </p><p>/s</p>

    • waethorn

      14 December, 2018 - 1:56 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381863">In reply to FalseAgent:</a></em></blockquote><p>Apparently, nobody around here gets sarcasm, so I up-voted you to make up for it.</p>

  • yoshi

    Premium Member
    14 December, 2018 - 9:53 am

    <p>Huh, this is the first I've read/heard about it. This seems similar to Google's "Location History" situation a few months back. All the options to shut the stuff off was there, just in different places and not well laid out. And with all similar naming.</p><p><br></p><p>It's almost like these companies don't want us to turn off certain tracking features. Who would have guessed? ;)</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      14 December, 2018 - 10:16 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381864">In reply to yoshi:</a></em></blockquote><p>That's probably fair.</p>

    • waethorn

      14 December, 2018 - 12:00 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381864">In reply to yoshi:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's not just location settings. Android also communicates over WiFi even when you turn the option "off". Setting WiFi to off DOES NOT turn off the WiFi radio. You just can't utilize communications over WiFi. I tested this with a couple Android phones, and sure enough, they were still registered and active on a local router when WiFi was set to off. What happened with the phones is that they would use mobile data for foreground user sessions, but background activity was still functional on WiFi. And they send LOTS of data to Google.</p>

      • Thom77

        15 December, 2018 - 2:16 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#381920">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I've said this forever, was called conspiracy theorist. I've always said when people said "Hey, you just turn _______ off" that they have no clue if its really off or not. I went from an Iphone SE which I found too restricting freedom wise back to an android phone and realized after having apps that havent been clicked in weeks give me notifications that I do not feel comfortable with android. Plus, my Wifi keeps turning back on after i turn it off even with the appropriate settings disabled, which keeps interupting my internet radio streams because the Wifi internet has a portal.</p><p><br></p><p>I am so close to just saying screw everything and getting a flip phone, and using a mp3 player for my podcasts and audiobooks but the tediousness of downloading all that stuff on my computer and organizing it in a mp3 player is stopping me …….. for the moment.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      16 December, 2018 - 1:15 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381864">In reply to yoshi:</a></em></blockquote><p>They are having problems with Windows 10 and Office 2016 / 365 in Europe as neither are GDPR compliant. All telemetary has to be off by default and can only send information back through opt-in.</p><p>The problem with Windows and Office is, even if you opt-out (which is the wrong way round, according to the law), both products still send a large amount of information back home, which isn't even documented. Many national data commissioners recommend not using Windows 10 or only Enterprise in very locked down mode and with extra perimeter firewall rules to block the activity.</p>

  • PeterC

    14 December, 2018 - 3:20 pm

    <p>Being a little light hearted for a moment – I wouldn't worry too much as Microsoft have demonstrated multi-year ability to ignore activity data when dealing with Windows bug issues or problematic software/settings/procedures etc – and that from people who willingly sent the data back to Microsoft!!! </p><p><br></p><p>If you wish to avoid Microsoft reading your activity data – join the Windows insiders club.</p>

  • NT6.1

    14 December, 2018 - 5:47 pm

    <p>Paul needed the money.</p>

    • Bats

      14 December, 2018 - 9:31 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#382045">In reply to NT6.1:</a></em></blockquote><p>He's cash strapped.</p>

    • locust infested orchard inc

      15 December, 2018 - 12:32 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#382045">In reply to NT6.1:</a></em></blockquote><p>By the same logic, should Paul feel inclined to earn a pretty penny or two, both Paul and Brad in the run up to Xmas, could spend every weekday discussing and reviewing Adoogle's data-harvesting and siphoning methodologies of its billions of users globally.</p><p><br></p><p>Because to be honest, someone of distinguished repute needs to state the glaringly obvious, for Adoogle's attitude to gobbling of users' data is more often than not disregarded by users as either trivial or shrugged off as "so what, I ain't got jack".</p><p><br></p><p>Google, the data Gobbler is the elephant in the room, yet no one is prepared to even discuss the Gobbler's unethical practices.</p>

      • yoshi

        Premium Member
        15 December, 2018 - 11:13 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#382106">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Adoogle is almost as painful to read as Micro$oft or M$.</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        15 December, 2018 - 1:30 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#382106">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Never say "Adoogle" again, please.</p>

  • Bats

    14 December, 2018 - 9:34 pm

    <p>Thurrott did mention it, for like, 5 seconds on the latest Windows Weekly. Just 5 seconds (or even less).</p>

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