- Don't accept the EULA, don't use Windows 10 and sit back knowing Microsoft can't get at any of your data

They still can. Each time you use the Microsoft web page, Bing, Cortana, MSN, Office, OneDrive, Outlook.com, Skype, Windows, Xbox and other Microsoft services and you allow cookies you're allowing their privacy statement to come into effect.

Microsoft collects data to operate effectively and provide you the best experiences with our services. You provide some of this data directly, such as when you create a Microsoft account, submit a search query to Bing, speak a voice command to Cortana, upload a document to OneDrive, or contact us for support. We get some of it by recording how you interact with our services by, for example, using technologies like cookies, and receiving error reports or usage data from software running on your device. We also obtain data from third parties (including other companies).

You will no longer be safe.

We share your personal data with your consent or as necessary to complete any transaction or provide any service you have requested or authorized. We also share data with Microsoft-controlled affiliates and subsidiaries; with vendors working on our behalf; when required by law or to respond to legal process; to protect our customers; to protect lives; to maintain the security of our services; and to protect the rights or property of Microsoft.

You will no longer be safe behind your own front door.

You can also opt out from receiving interest-based advertising from Microsoft by visiting our opt-out page.

It's on by default, you can opt-out via a different page. Here's the fun one, on the opt-out page you're not logged in, even if you are logged in on the page you came from. So you have to log in on the opt-out page and with that logging in accept the privacy statement that says that Microsoft is allowed to spy on your every movement and breath you take. Else... the personalized advertisements will stay on.

When you use Bing services, we collect your search queries, location and other information about your interaction with our services.

Why? I can understand you want to know what I search for, but why must you know my location and other information about my interaction with your services?

Cortana is your personal assistant.

Brrr, go away!

We collect information about the installation of MSN Apps and the devices on which they are installed. We also collect data about how you interact with MSN Apps and websites, such as usage frequency and content viewed.

Have we told you that you're not safe behind your own front door? Raistmer must be churning in his chair.

Office is a collection of productivity applications...

All made to be spying on you, because every part of it can help you find and remove hidden information you may not want to disclose.
With it default on, I wonder where all this information goes to.
I can't find any of such stupidity in OpenOffice, so guess I'll forever stay on that then.

When you delete an email or item from a mailbox in the Outlook.com web service, the item generally goes into your Deleted Items folder where it remains for approximately 7 days unless you move it back to your inbox, you empty the folder, or the service empties the folder automatically, whichever comes first. When the Deleted Items folder is emptied, those emptied items remain in our system for up to 30 days before final deletion.

You can just as well not delete it, because apparently it'll never go anywhere.

The social inbox feature lets you know when the people who email you are available to connect on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

No! Why?

If you receive an email from someone whose name and profile picture are publicly accessible on a social network, we will attempt to retrieve that person's name and profile picture from the social network to display it to you.

No!! Really, why?

For the people you have connected with on those social networks, we also show you information from their social network feed.

No!!!! God!! Why?

Microsoft Silverlight helps you to access and enjoy rich content on the Web.

Luckily most embedded Silverlight players are crap, so where you can, disable it.

Skype applications (including Skype features exposed through other applications, such as Windows 10 communications apps) allow you to send and receive voice, video and instant message communications. As part of providing these features, Microsoft collects usage data about your communications that includes the time and date of the communication and the numbers or usernames that are part of the communication. We may share or disclose data with other Microsoft-controlled subsidiaries and affiliates that may each, independently, use this data for the purposes set out in this privacy statement.

It gets better...

Partner companies. Some Skype products may be offered via a partner company's website and/or supported through a partner company that may use your data subject to the terms of its own privacy policy. Microsoft may access, disclose and preserve your data (including your private content, such as the content of your instant messages, stored video messages, voicemails or file transfers) to provide the service or to assist its local partner or the local operator facilitating your communication to comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, including from law enforcement or other government agencies.

NSA and GCHQ then? I doubt they share it with the Chinese. And we have to find this the new normal, ey? Ah, got nothing to hide! Really!

Skype advertising. In some versions of the Skype software that offer interest-based advertising, you may opt out of interest-based advertising displayed in the software by visiting the privacy options in the software or account settings menu. If you opt out, you will still receive advertisements based on your country of residence, language preference, and IP address location, but other data is not used for ad targeting. If you use a Microsoft account to sign into Skype you can opt out of interest-based advertising by going to the opt-out page.

You better log in, you never log out, you better not touch what's in your iCloud, NSA is coming to town.

Windows 10 ("Windows") is a personalized computing environment that enables you to seamlessly roam and access services, preferences and content across your computing devices from phones to tablets to the Surface Hub. Rather than residing as a static software program on your device, key components of Windows are cloud-based, and both cloud and local elements of Windows are updated regularly, providing you with the latest improvements and features. In order to provide this computing experience, we collect data about you, your device, and the way you use Windows. And because Windows is personal to you, we give you choices about the personal data we collect and how we use it.

But because we don't give a flying hoot about that last sentence, we have activated everything by default and you will have to disable it all by hand.
We can also at any time in the future turn everything you turned off, back on, as we desire it. If our EULA hasn't changed in that direction yet, soon it will be, because we don't have to show you a new EULA anyway if we just adapt small parts of it.
Windows 10 and privacy: there is none. Privacy is a lie! 1984, it's time you roamed this world. Yeah, why didn't they call it Windows '84?

Rather than residing as a static software program on your device, as a normal operating system would be, we've devised a contraption that will be able to count your freckles through the camera, see if you're left or right handed, see what you download, play, install, add to and remove, both in software and hardware and send data about that back to us and our affiliates.

But hey, it is the new normal!
Everyone else does it, so why can't Microsoft?

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They still can. Each time you use the Microsoft web page, Bing, Cortana, MSN, Office, OneDrive, Outlook.com, Skype, Windows, Xbox and other Microsoft services and you allow cookies you're allowing their privacy statement to come into effect.

And this is the same for all websites, so the option is not visit any websites, or to not allow any cookies whatsoever, again why is Microsoft being singled out here

If you are going to point fingers at Microsoft about this practice it should be pointed at all companies in equal measure

But hey, it is the new normal!
Everyone else does it, so why can't Microsoft?

If, as you say, everyone is doing this, why shouldn't Microsoft and why the hysteria about it?
Do you trust Apple or Google (or even your own government) with your personal data?

Simple fix for this: if you don't like what the companies are going to do with your data don't use their software.

There's been multiple studies released about the so-called 'Generation X' in the UK and how they want to access their data, and the end result of all of these studies is the same, they want instant access to data, all day, where ever they are, and whatever device they are on, and they are happy (or resigned to the fact) that they have to lose some of their privacy to get this convenience.

Whilst there are people that are willing to make this trade off, companies are going to provide the service to do this and try to make money out of it, because at the moment data mining is making corporations money

I'm not making any judgments on if this is right or wrong, moral or not, just the fact that I have come to the conclusion that I am ok with losing some privacy to have access to what I want when I want it.

Everyone should make their own mind up about if they are happy with the trade-off, but it should be based on a balanced discussion based on facts not half-truths or rumors as that helps no-one to make an informed decision

Or do you mean if MS has reason to believe that you are somehow in breach of the Terms & Conditions of the licence or engaged in illegal activities on your PC when it can disclose certain information and data from your HDD?

I mean that M$ can do that w/o reason. What it thinks is reason can be not reason to someone else. Again, if police "has the reason" they should obtain court order. What unclear here?

We collect information about the installation of MSN Apps and the devices on which they are installed. We also collect data about how you interact with MSN Apps and websites, such as usage frequency and content viewed.

Have we told you that you're not safe behind your own front door? Raistmer must be churning in his chair.

:D :D :D I'm lost man already, I logged into my mail inside from Win10 and via Edge...

We collect information about the installation of MSN Apps and the devices on which they are installed. We also collect data about how you interact with MSN Apps and websites, such as usage frequency and content viewed.

Have we told you that you're not safe behind your own front door? Raistmer must be churning in his chair.

:D :D :D I'm lost man already, I logged into my mail inside from Win10 and via Edge...

Tssss, a code wizard like you ?

Thunderbird and Icedragon are your friend.

Didn`t you check the tools i posted below ?

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

Or do you mean if MS has reason to believe that you are somehow in breach of the Terms & Conditions of the licence or engaged in illegal activities on your PC when it can disclose certain information and data from your HDD?

I mean that M$ can do that w/o reason. What it thinks is reason can be not reason to someone else. Again, if police "has the reason" they should obtain court order. What unclear here?

You seemed to claim that Cortana could send files from your system back to Microsoft
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=77121&postid=1714407#1714407

Nope. How to send any of my local files can be qualified as "needed for speech recognition" or smth alike? Contacts/keyboard/sound... well, but any particular file? Maybe it's my unpublished paper or personal photo or whatever, but Cortana don't need it to understand me better :)

which isn't the case, I then asked if you meant the advanced error reporting or if it was if Microsoft had reason to believe you were engaged in illegal activities from your PC as both of these functions can send local files back to Microsoft. Sorry if that wasn't clear to you

And it doesn't matter if you think they have a good enough reason or not, the fact is if they think they have good enough reason too then they can

Until this is challenged in a court it isn't illegal, and I haven't seen anyone lodge a complaint about it yet.

And as far as I am aware no court order is needed in either in the US or the UK (don't know about anywhere else) to access you data already stored, the police\intelligence services just need to provide a reason for why they want the access

[dripping sarcasm]
But hey, it is the new normal!
Everyone else does it, so why can't Microsoft?[/dripping sarcasm]

If, as you say, everyone is doing this, why shouldn't Microsoft and why the hysteria about it?

Owh sorry, you missed the dripping sarcasm tags.
Here, added.

Do you trust Apple or Google (or even your own government) with your personal data?

So just because the person before you jumps off the bridge, that makes it quite all right for you to jump off the bridge as well?
It's statements like yours (and anyone defending Windows 10 for that matter) that make me cringe. Others do it, so it's OK for Microsoft to do it also, but on a much much grander scale.

Yeah, but haven't you heard yet? It's free (but it really isn't, because you pay for it with your Windows 7/8/8.1 license, that you can no longer use when you've used Win10 for a month. After that time, if you want to reinstall Win 7/8/8.1, you have to buy a new license for it)

Simple fix for this: if you don't like what the companies are going to do with your data don't use their software.

Yeah, that simple, ey? Because it's the new normal that all this crap has to be in the software. Why though? Why does all this software have to be stuffed so full of that crap?

I take it you regularly run Malwarebytes/Superantispyware/Hitman Pro (not the game)/anti virus/etc. on your system to get rid of all the possible virii, spyware and malware? So why do you not care one frick about it when your OS, and all the software its manufacturer produces, does exactly the same thing? And cannot be removed by Malwarebytes/Superantispyware/Hitman Pro (not the game)/anti virus/etc.?

There's been multiple studies released about the so-called 'Generation X' in the UK and how they want to access their data, and the end result of all of these studies is the same, they want instant access to data, all day, where ever they are, and whatever device they are on, and they are happy (or resigned to the fact) that they have to lose some of their privacy to get this convenience.

And that then gives the OS manufacturer the right to collect everything they possibly can about all these people? Just because they want to access their own data wherever they want to?

Whilst there are people that are willing to make this trade off, companies are going to provide the service to do this and try to make money out of it, because at the moment data mining is making corporations money

But it isn't just advertisements that they're after. It's total control over your system. Microsoft dictates what you can and cannot run or do on your system, what hardware, what software.
Hypothetically you can no longer download the latest series from US TV, because MS will know and hypothetically assumedly send that data to the RIAA, or its equivalent of your country.

It was of course already illegal to do so, but up until you willingly installed Windows 10, no one really knew about what you did. Now they do.

Netflix or HULU you say? Won't have it until in 12 months, because exclusive to the USA. Amazon Prime? Yeah, but just for the new Top Gear!

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There's been multiple studies released about the so-called 'Generation X' in the UK and how they want to access their data, and the end result of all of these studies is the same, they want instant access to data, all day, where ever they are, and whatever device they are on, and they are happy (or resigned to the fact) that they have to lose some of their privacy to get this convenience.

Yep, there is growing set of net-narcomaniacs. So what? Do you think any drug addict or alcoholic cares about his privacy if he sees bottle/injector in front? Nope, he doesn't. But it doesn't mean all should be put on needle. Like or not Windows is most widespread OS. And switching from it to smth else will require enormous amount of both money and time. So nothing unusual some start to think trapped. There is no real opt out option. Some one say "don't like windows - write own OS" - why not, but is it real option?

And it doesn't matter if you think they have a good enough reason or not, the fact is if they think they have good enough reason too then they can

Until this is challenged in a court it isn't illegal, and I haven't seen anyone lodge a complaint about it yet.

Wrong.

MS paid $400 million to EU union because their EULA isn`t legal in europe but they are doing it again and again.

I`m sure they will pay again.

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

Didn`t you check the tools i posted below ?

It was just after Win10 TP installation, world seemed bright and friendly at that time... :D :D

And it doesn't matter if you think they have a good enough reason or not, the fact is if they think they have good enough reason too then they can

Until this is challenged in a court it isn't illegal, and I haven't seen anyone lodge a complaint about it yet.

Wrong.

MS paid $400 million to EU union because their EULA isn`t legal in europe but they are doing it again and again.

I`m sure they will pay again.

That's about I said before. They can put in EULA anything they want. And peoples will sign it, cause there is no real opt-out for many of them. Even Linux not too easy to switch to completely, considering favorite games and non-too-standart hardware support. And in corporate environment such switch can be just impossible for the cost of re-writing custom windows software.... there are many reasons why peoples have no real choice (even if they read that EULA that almost certainly they did not). But again, this doesn't make such EULAs legal.
Looking on torrents for custom Win10 builds :P (from XP, of course :P :P :P )

Sorry, didn't get the sarcasm bit

So just because the person before you jumps off the bridge, that makes it quite all right for you to jump off the bridge as well?
It's statements like yours (and anyone defending Windows 10 for that matter) that make me cringe. Others do it, so it's OK for Microsoft to do it also, but on a much much grander scale

Not defending them at all, just trying to point out (obviously unsuccessfully) that there is a market for this and until that market moves on, companies are going to provide the service
If you're going to vilify Microsoft for doing something then aim the same criticisms at all the companies that do it otherwise it just looks like you're anti-Microsoft

Yeah, that simple, ey? Because it's the new normal that all this crap has to be in the software. Why though? Why does all this software have to be stuffed so full of that crap?

I take it you regularly run Malwarebytes/Superantispyware/Hitman Pro (not the game)/anti virus/etc. on your system to get rid of all the possible virii, spyware and malware? So why do you not care one frick about it when your OS, and all the software its manufacturer produces, does exactly the same thing? And cannot be removed by Malwarebytes/Superantispyware/Hitman Pro (not the game)/anti virus/etc.?

Like I said, I made a decision about what privacy I was prepared to give up to get access to what I want, when and how I want it. Based on facts and research I did prior to installing the OS. This is a personal decision that you and no-one else has the right to criticise for. I don't judge you for not wanting to use Windows 10, don't judge me for using it

And that then gives the OS manufacturer the right to collect everything they possibly can about all these people? Just because they want to access their own data wherever they want to?

Again a personal decision made by those users that doesn't affect you so you have no right to judge them on

But it isn't just advertisements that they're after. It's total control over your system. Microsoft dictates what you can and cannot run or do on your system, what hardware, what software.

Apple already dictates in a lot of their products what hardware you can install (if any is user swappable at all), what software is available in their app store same with Android, where was the outcry then?

If you are going to use these arguments apply them to all companies please otherwise they are irrelevant

Hypothetically you can no longer download the latest series from US TV, because MS will know and send that data to the RIAA, or its equivalent of your country.

It was of course already illegal to do so, but up until you willingly installed Windows 10, no one really knew about what you did. Now they do.

Are you really basing some of your argument on the fact that you now can't use your computer to illegally download TV Shows or use pirated software. Really not the best of examples to use

If you don't want to use it, then don't, move to Linux or Apple, or Chrome OS and see if they are any better. If they are then great happy for you but don't judge people for using an OS you don't agree with as it has no impact on you whatsoever

And it doesn't matter if you think they have a good enough reason or not, the fact is if they think they have good enough reason too then they can

Until this is challenged in a court it isn't illegal, and I haven't seen anyone lodge a complaint about it yet.

Wrong.

MS paid $400 million to EU union because their EULA isn`t legal in europe but they are doing it again and again.

I`m sure they will pay again.

That EULA stood until it was challenged in European courts
And until the European courts judge this one to be illegal it stands, which is what I said

Edit - actually that 400 million fine was an anti-trust fine for limiting the way users access the internet (i.e the pre-packaging of IE) where they broke a legally binding agreement from 2009, not with their EULA

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-microsoft-browser-lawsuit-idUSBREA3A1YI20140411

In March last year, the European Union levied its largest ever antitrust fine against Microsoft for breaking a legally binding commitment made in 2009 to ensure that consumers in Europe had a choice of how they access the internet, rather than defaulting to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

Its investigation found that updated software issued between May 2011 and July 2012 meant that 15 million users were not given a choice. It was the first time the European Commission, the EU's antitrust authority, handed down a fine to a company for failing to meet its obligations.

That EULA stood until it was challenged in European courts
And until the European courts judge this one to be illegal it stands, which is what I said

Ooops, one important word missed: successfully challenged.
That is, it was illegal. So, if you consider OK for M$ to use illegal EULA until someone will take huge work to prove it illegal (that is, to make crime until caught) why ability to download pirated video until caught so inappropriate to your view? ;)

BTW, regarding Apple and Google - they blamed for very same thing. Yep. But to me personally not 0.01% of my virtual world is stored on smartphone to be stolen. Also, I easily will notice attempt cause not connected to internet constantly on phone. That's why it's not SO important. But with PC... it's the big difference at least for me. And it seems not only for me.

That EULA stood until it was challenged in European courts
And until the European courts judge this one to be illegal it stands, which is what I said

Ooops, one important word missed: successfully challenged.
That is, it was illegal. So, if you consider OK for M$ to use illegal EULA until someone will take huge work to prove it illegal (that is, to make crime until caught) why ability to download pirated video until caught so inappropriate to your view? ;)

Just edited my post to contain the actual reason they were fined by the European courts
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-microsoft-browser-lawsuit-idUSBREA3A1YI20140411

BTW, regarding Apple and Google - they blamed for very same thing. Yep. But to me personally not 0.01% of my virtual world is stored on smartphone to be stolen. Also, I easшly will notice attempt cause not connected to internet constantly on phone. That's why it's not SO important. But with PC... it's the big difference at least for me. And it seems not only for me.

Right, so just playing devils advocate here, it's ok to take your personal data as long as its not too much of your data?

BTW, regarding Apple and Google - they blamed for very same thing. Yep. But to me personally not 0.01% of my virtual world is stored on smartphone to be stolen. Also, I easшly will notice attempt cause not connected to internet constantly on phone. That's why it's not SO important. But with PC... it's the big difference at least for me. And it seems not only for me.

Right, so just playing devils advocate here, it's ok to take your personal data as long as its not too much of your data?

As I said - no, it's not ok, but they just CAN't take anything I really care of (from phone). That's what I wanted to say. To reach same state on PC I have much work to do as Mike suggested. But... then it will no more PC, it will be just computational device. Maybe M$'s one? But not Personal one.

BTW, anyone noticed VERY telling change in computer name inside Win10?

It always was "My computer". Now it became completely un-personalized - "This computer". Really, coders in M$ tried to tell us what is going on...

That EULA stood until it was challenged in European courts
And until the European courts judge this one to be illegal it stands, which is what I said

Ooops, one important word missed: successfully challenged.
That is, it was illegal. So, if you consider OK for M$ to use illegal EULA until someone will take huge work to prove it illegal (that is, to make crime until caught) why ability to download pirated video until caught so inappropriate to your view? ;)

Just edited my post to contain the actual reason they were fined by the European courts
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-microsoft-browser-lawsuit-idUSBREA3A1YI20140411

In March last year, the European Union levied its largest ever antitrust fine against Microsoft for breaking a legally binding commitment made in 2009 to ensure that consumers in Europe had a choice of how they access the internet, rather than defaulting to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

No choice.... sounds familiar :P

Look, I don't agree with the EULA as it stands and hopefully it will be changed (either by court order or Microsoft coming to their senses) when users realise what they are opting into

But vilifying Microsoft alone isn't helpful, after a quick review of the big 3 OS providers (I'm including Chrome in that), they all store information or can access your data according to their EULA's

To reverse this we need all 3 companies to change how they are working, not just Microsoft, as Grant pointed out the Government isn't going to do this as they want access to your data more than the companies do and this provides a quick and easy way of getting it

Ranting and raving about it isn't going to change how it works, but a balanced and fair discussion on it might stand a chance