You're likely to see adverts if you use the internet: do you want those ads personalized to your viewing and purchasing decisions? Your advertising ID is linked to your Microsoft account, acting much like the trackers that follow you around the internet to deliver personalized adverts. Microsoft has been gathering information in Windows since at least 2009, and maybe even before that. The French government agrees, too, as does the European Union's data protection watchdog and the Netherlands' Data Protection Authority.īut data gathering within your Windows operating system isn't a startling new revelation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation strongly asserts that Windows 10 violates your privacy.

It boils down to one question: does Microsoft violate your privacy by default? Unfortunately, there is no clear answer as your relationship with Windows 10 privacy varies from your neighbors, friends, family, and so on. However, nor does Microsoft's addition of advertising within File Explorer (this is easily turned off) and vaguely worded EULAs that worry users about constant system scanning (the EULA in question is not permitting this behavior). Is Microsoft overstepping the boundaries of operating system data collection? Misleading stories regarding integrated keyloggers and spyware certainly do not help. The major issue leveled at Windows 10 concerns data collection.

However, Microsoft stuck to its guns in regard to alleged privacy infringements, adding greater control over individual elements but not completely removing any of the perceived privacy infringing features. When Windows 10 hit the shelves back in 2015, numerous features came under immediate attack from privacy advocates and Microsoft critics alike. Windows 10 has long come under attack for its approach to user privacy. The latter deals with how individual Windows 10 apps use identification, data collection, and other privacy-related app permissions. The former deals with how Microsoft collects and uses your data to streamline your Windows 10 experience. You will note that Microsoft has split the privacy menu into two sections: Windows Permissions and App Permissions. To access Windows 10 Settings, press the keyboard shortcut Windows key + I, then head to Privacy or go to Start > Settings > Privacy. What follows is a page-by-page guide to Windows 10 April 1803 update privacy settings, so you know exactly which security settings to configure, and why you'd want to toggle it.

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