Saturday, August 1, 2015

Windows 10: should we be afraid to privacy? – Le Figaro

Microsoft’s new operating system is implicated, including Le Pen, for its privacy policy. Le Figaro sorts the true and false.

“If it’s free, you are the product. “This popular saying – for fifteen years – often used to designate the business practices of Google, Facebook or any company that does not charge for its services. Microsoft may be added to this list. The US company has started sending its upgrade to Windows 10 to its users. This upgrade is free for a year, a sign that the firm change in the economic model. It is accompanied by a new privacy statement applies to all Microsoft services from Saturday, August 1.

In France, the new Windows operating conditions caused the ire of President of the National Front Marine Le Pen. In an open letter to the president of the CNIL, she denounced “widespread spying on French computers.” Contacted by Le Figaro a spokesman CNIL indicates that Microsoft designed its privacy policy after discussions with the Commission, and that it is “under analysis” by the all European CNIL.

Windows sucks indeed a lot of data, but things are a bit more complicated in detail. Le Figaro examines several statements about the new features of Windows 10 in terms of privacy.



● Windows collects a lot of personal information for advertising purposes

That’s right. more than Windows is Microsoft that collects information personal. When you install Windows 10, you are strongly encouraged to create a Microsoft account. A unique advertising identifier is then attached to your account. It is he who will target advertisements. They can be “based on your current location, your search query or the content you see,” but also on “your demographics, your search queries, your interests and your Favorites, your user data and your location data. ” That’s a lot and it is for Windows, but also for its Bing search engine, for the locations of data from your Windows Phone, and so on. Microsoft recently united all its privacy policies. A similar approach to that of Google in 2012. This signifique that your information can flow from one product to another.

However, Microsoft says not to use “what you say in the email, discussions, video calls or voice mail or your documents, photos and other personal files to send you targeted ads. ” This does not mean that data, or other, are not collected. The Microsoft account can synchronize parameters such as the disposal of the Home screen, history, and your browser bookmarks and passwords that you have chosen to save. A policy again quite similar to Google, but that can offend the most attached to their users privacy.



● Windows 10 is less privacy friendly than its predecessor

This is almost true. In terms of privacy, the accusations made against Windows 10 could be made to Windows 8.1, the previous version of Windows. When we consult the privacy statement for Windows 8.1 synchronization settings between different device was already in place. The unique identifier also advertising.

Some specialized sites, such as NextInpact or Numerama, note that when a user onedrive, Microsoft storage service, selects the BitLocker encryption solution, the recovery key data is stored on servers Microsoft. In theory, that means that Microsoft may provide to the NSA sesame allowing to decrypt the data on your hard drive, if the agency has a legal request. This was already true for Windows 8.1. Except that at the time, Microsoft ensured that the key to recovery was in good hands. “We do not use the key recovery information for any purpose whatsoever”, then Windows 8.1 affirmed the statement. We no longer find this mention in the new Windows privacy statement 10.

● Cortana, the Windows wizard voice is a weasel

It’s true . At the same time, it is his work. More Cortana knows about you, the more the software is able to meet your expectations. The privacy statement indicates a list Prévert: “Microsoft collects and uses different types of data, such as the location of your device, the data in your calendar, apps you use, the data in your emails and your text messages, people you call, contacts and the frequency of your interactions with them on your device (…) the way you use your device and other Microsoft services, such as your music, settings of alarm if the Lock screen is turned on, what you watch and buy, your browsing history and Bing search, and more. “

” And more “likely means that Cortana is brought to change, and therefore to brew more data users. For those who value their privacy, this can be annoying.

Again, these policies are not very different from those of Google assistant software, Google Now. Siri, the wizard voice of Apple, is a little less invasive: Apple itself certainly collects data, but does not associate your Apple account. It is the device as such is identified. So your data are slightly better protected.



● Microsoft imposes irrevocable violation of my privacy

This is false. Many of the methods by which Microsoft collects personal information can be blocked before and after installation of the operating system. The problem is that the company does not make it very easy. For example, Windows does not ask directly to the user if he agrees to deliver all of their personal information. Users themselves should take the step.

To help them, the specialized site NextInpact published a guide to decline cookies different Windows 10. Those who want to use the hard way and are not afraid of a little technique will delight in this “ultimate guide” signed by a web designer and blogger, named Blacksheep. It offers uninstall any suspicious software, one by one, by hand.

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