“We do not collect info without your consent,” the firm says

Aug 5, 2015 11:36 GMT  ·  By

The Windows 10 privacy saga continues, this time with watchdogs claiming that Microsoft might be using the operating system to snoop on users and read their emails or access certain content that's stored on their PCs.

Basically, it all starts with the updated privacy policy that came into effect on August 1 and that claims that some information might be collected from Windows 10 devices in order to provide a more personalized experience.

Cortana, for example, can monitor “your types and handwritten words,” but that only happens in order to “help improve and personalise our ability to correctly recognise your input.”

This does make sense at some level, especially because Cortana was designed to be a personal assistant from the very beginning, but privacy groups warn that Windows 10 can always turn into a modern Big Brother than can be used to monitor users.

Users don't know their data is collected

“Ensuring consumers have control of their data and a clear understanding of how it is used is fundamental. While there is the option to opt-out of a lot of the data being collected, it is not unfair to assume that many users will be unaware of the scale of data collection and that opt-out is indeed an option,” Emma Carr, director of Big Brother Watch, was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

“In order to reassure its users, Microsoft should take extra steps to ensure that users are fully aware of what data is being collected and how they can have more control over it.”

In its defense, Microsoft claims that absolutely no information is collected from a Windows 10 device without the user knowing about it.

Indeed, the settings screen of Windows 10 comes with options that allow users to configure and disable data collection from their computers, but privacy watchdogs warn that many do not even know that such information is actually received from their PCs.

What's more, they say, Microsoft does not provide enough information on how to disable these features, so beginners might have a hard time protecting their privacy.

Below is Microsoft's statement on this in full:

“Windows does not collect personal information without your consent. To effectively provide Windows as a service, Microsoft gathers some performance, diagnostic and usage information that helps keep Windows and apps running properly. Microsoft uses this information to identify problems and develop fixes. More information on the Microsoft Services Agreement and Privacy Statement for consumers is available on our blogs.microsoft.com website.”

Some third-party app developers claim that the services we see in settings are not the only ones used to collect data, as some background processes are also there for the very same purpose. Apps like this one, which can disable Windows 10 tracking services, are becoming more popular these days, so Microsoft really needs to find a way to deal with these complaints as soon as possible.