This time last month a report by the French Data Protection Authority in no uncertain terms blasted Microsoft for what it called excessive data collection on its Windows 10 operating system. Microsoft was given three months to comply with the French Data Protection Act, otherwise the company could face a sanction.

The smoke has hardly died down from that scathing report and another report, this time by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has stated pretty much the same, that Microsoft, “Blatantly Disregards User Choice and Privacy.”

Relating to User Choice EFF made Microsoft’s aggressive Windows 10 upgrade push a big issue, something that took various forms, each not without attendant criticism. “Downright malicious,” states EFF of the sometimes sneaky modus operandi Microsoft used in trying to get its customers to upgrade to the new OS (operating system). This included bundling update apps in security patches and perhaps Microsoft’s biggest blunder – in terms of diminishing user trust – making the X a symbol of consent (upgrade), not merely closing a window.

Collecting an “unprecedented” amount of data

EFF goes on to say how by using Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana, the company collects perhaps more data than it should. This not only includes things like location and browsing activity, but also data on what you type and what you say to Cortana. Microsoft also collects telemetry data, which relates to general usage – explained in detail here.

EFF claims that while users can disable settings which would greatly enhance user privacy, “It is not a guarantee that your computer will stop talking to Microsoft’s servers.” It states that Microsoft has never fully explained how telemetry data is used or for how long it is retained. At the same time, according to EFF, users can’t turn it off. Microsoft has also claimed that if it allowed users to curtail the collection of telemetry data then the user’s security would be an issue as they would no longer receive security updates.

If Microsoft doesn’t want to deal with lawsuits and investigations EFF recommends, “Microsoft should come clean with its user community. The company needs to acknowledge its missteps and offer real, meaningful opt-outs to the users who want them, preferably in a single unified screen.”

Microsoft has already been involved in a series of lawsuits over its Windows 10 upgrade strategy.

In response to the EFF report Microsoft, via ZDNet, said:

Microsoft is committed to customer privacy and ensuring that customers have the information and tools they need to make informed decisions. We listened to feedback from our customers and evolved our approach to the upgrade process. Windows 10 continues to have the highest satisfaction of any version of Windows.

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