Windows 10 Privacy Settings Reference

[Reginald_001]

Notice: If you want to talk about Linux, Macs or anything else DO IT ELSEWHERE you are not welcome in this topic. This is a not a 'this OS is better than that OS topic'. Your posts will be scorned, laughed at, and ignored for being completely off topic! I myself have several other machines, including Linux and Macs. This topic is for Windows users only and should be considered a reference topic on privacy settings in Windows 10.

 

WINDOWS 10 PRIVACY SETTINGS REFERENCE

I'll update this topic if links go out of date, or if information changes. If you have any relevant info please share it and it will be added to the reference.

This topic will guide you through the process of reclaiming your privacy!

 

Click on the spoiler for the introduction

 

By default, through several services, Microsoft sends data about how you use your computer to their servers. Your OS creates a unique ID tailored to your machine. This telemetry is sent via the ID of your machine, not coupled with your IP. That makes VPN's useless, sites visited while using a VPN will still be known by MS. Regardless of what you do, MS's services such as the Network Inspection Monitor, the SmartScreen service, Windows Defender, Windows Firewall and the Windows Search Service will collect data on: What you type in any program and which websites you visit. A detailed log of your location is kept and maintained for later analysis. Biometric data about you and the people using your device is stored and analyzed. Any file or application that Windows Defender deems 'dangerous' is sent in it's ENTIRETY to Windows Cloud services for further analysis, in fact many virus applications (including those for other OS'es) do this as well.

 

What MS has confirmed to be mining:

 

Biometric data

• Samples of voice and pronunciation of certain words;
• samples of handwriting (via handwriting input);
• text samples (typed in any application).
   

Geolocation data

• Current location;
• locations history including temporary location marks.
   

Technical data

• Information on equipment including ID numbers of the devices;
• information on networks joined both wireless and by cable;
• telemetric data;
• data from any built-in sensors.
   

Behavioral analysis

• Web search history;
• visited websites log;
• Windows startup and shut down time;
• startup and shutdown time of every application.
   

Purchasing activity

• Applications downloaded from Windows Store;
• clicking on contextual ads;
• clicking on personalized ads.

The list can go on although the above is quite enough for our research. Running ahead, I should mention that not all the accusations against Windows 10 were proven true. For example, Czech news portal AE News claimed that OS sends images from the webcam to the Microsoft servers. Whereas during our test once we connected the webcam, the system only installed the drivers. We have detected no irrelevant or unauthorized actions with the camera at all.

Here you can find the complete list of what Microsoft collects, and the chilling technical proof and background.
https://hackmag.com/security/what-data-windows-10-sends-to-microsoft-and-how-to-make-it-stop/

 

 

IMPORTANT

Microsoft likes to reset privacy features to their defaults at irregular intervals during windows updates.

Make it normal procedure to quickly check these settings after each Windows Update round.

 

1) DISABLE TELEMETRY!!!!

https://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-windows-10/

 

1a) Review exactly WHAT MS is sending around (irrelevant after you have disabled telemetry)

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-view-and-manage-diagnostic-data-windows-10-april-2018-update

 

2) DISABLE ALL OF THESE OPTIONS IN THE CONTROL PANEL

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-10-violates-your-privacy-by-default-heres-how-you-can-protect-yourself/

 

3) DISABLE ALL OF THESE OPTIONS IN THE CONTROL PANEL

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2971725/windows/how-to-reclaim-your-privacy-in-windows-10-piece-by-piece.html

 

4) DISABLE CORTANA

https://www.howtogeek.com/265027/how-to-disable-cortana-in-windows-10/

 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

Use MS's feedback to complain against them sending out data on how you use your devices!

 

FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM. NO ONE ELSE WILL DO IT FOR YOU.

[Ernest Lemmingway]

This is all pretty basic privacy stuff. It's doing things like disabling Cortana--which no one should use because it's a major security hole--that requires some know-how. I didn't know they were resetting the settings with updates, though. That's pretty dirty even for MS.

[Reginald_001]

7 hours ago, Ernest Lemmingway said:

This is all pretty basic privacy stuff. It's doing things like disabling Cortana--which no one should use because it's a major security hole--that requires some know-how. I didn't know they were resetting the settings with updates, though. That's pretty dirty even for MS.

Added the disable cortana link.

[Reginald_001]

Bump as many updates have reset most settings.

Also a major update, by downloading this file you can disable telemetry through Firewall rules.

 

https://winaero.com/blog/stop-windows-10-spying-on-you-using-just-windows-firewall/

[Sladen2019]

I personally use an app called WPD (Windows Privacy Dashboard). It gets updates fairly frequently and is updated to work with 1809. It can toggle on/off just about all types of Telemetry and even add firewall rules if desired. Totally free and virus free.

 

https://wpd.app/

[guk]

You realize that everything on your PC and smartphone does something like this nowadays?

 

It's just so that Microsoft is kind enough to let you know about it, and allows you to disable it.

 

Kinda wondering how many of you are using Chrome as browser while cultivating the anti-MC conspiracies.