The Spies Around Us

Pocah

Pocah

Pocah

Associate
Joined
11 Jul 2017
Posts
816
Is it just me that is concerned about the way that companies are collecting more and more of our data?
I notice that the latest Windows 10 update has remove the ability to disable automatic collection of data.. the so-called "Feedback", which collects such things as what hardware you have, what you do on your PC and how long you do it for, what websites you visit, what games you play, and what films you watch and so on. Previously you could select to "never" send this sort of feedback but now it's impossible. You have to at least send "basic" information back to Microsoft. It seems every day something new is introduced to gather more information about people. It is one aspect that worries me about leaving the EU. The EU seems concerned about these things, the current UK government either doesn't care or wants the information for itself - of the politicians are too stupid to realise what's happening.
Just interested in your thoughts!
 
stuman said:
why are you worried? you have some strange kinks?
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Personally I'm not worried about it when it is functioning as intended... but once that system is in place problems or abuse of it will and can happen.

People really should be up in arms about the path Windows 10 is taking but sadly few seem to have the foresight to see it.
 
I watched that Anon film a few days ago which is basically where we are ultimately heading, technology permitting. The woman summed it up best at the end: "It's not that I have something to hide, it's that I have nothing I want you see".
 
Pocah said:
Is it just me that is concerned about the way that companies are collecting more and more of our data?
... the current UK government either doesn't care or wants the information for itself - of the politicians are too stupid to realise what's happening.
!
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Just you.

In a week's time, after decades of negotiation and debate, one of the biggest pieces of legislation comes into force across the entirety of the biggest political union in the history of the planet to exactly address this, but, yes, its just you thinking about this,and the politicians don't care.
 
Just set it to basic, this only collects Windows core data, and not websites, applications used, time used etc.
 
garnett said:
Just you.

In a week's time, after decades of negotiation and debate, one of the biggest pieces of legislation comes into force across the entirety of the biggest political union in the history of the planet to exactly address this, but, yes, its just you thinking about this,and the politicians don't care.
Click to expand...

I have had a lot of emails in regarding to GDPR. Every site I use is upgrading it's policies and procedures and websites.
 
stuman said:
why are you worried? you have some strange kinks?
Click to expand...

Maybe I am just a little paranoid, but I just don't see why everyone should have endless amounts of data about people.

I think there is a real danger when computers start processing information and making decisions about you and for you. I mean Steam for example ~ on the front page of the store, all I can see is what they think I want to buy, I can't see anything else. If I type in the name of a game Steam even offers it's opinion as to whether I will like the game. If I go to youtube, I am offered videos their computers have decided I most likely want to see. Facebook targets adverts based on computer processed profiles of you and your personality. What I find really worrying is that these companies are so intent on presenting me with what they think I want to see that they are actually denying me choice.

Now governments are in on the act. Of course May told us it was to catch terrorists. How? Well, the computers at GCHQ can monitor everything and pick out potential terrorists. Sounds a bit like the Minority Report? I think that people who dismiss such things just have way too much faith in politicians! The UK government has already said that HMRC will have access to the data as well. Great, so now they will be trolling ebay data to find out if you paid your taxes on that stuff you sold last week.

There are so many films that warn us about the potential of all this. The Minority Report. 1984. Sheesh, even Demolition Man!!!!!! Now maybe it's a good thing, maybe it's bad, but right now we just seem to be walking in to it completely blind.
 
Pocah said:
What I find really worrying is that these companies are so intent on presenting me with what they think I want to see that they are actually denying me choice.
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It isn't just what they think you want to see - some sites are even manipulating what people see so as to try and direct what you want to see as per what they want you to see (if that makes sense).

Similar stuff has been happening with game mechanics in some video games but fortunately it seems while you can fool some people this way and/or some people don't care there are still a good number of people who can tell when they are being manipulated resulting in a certain amount of backlash and in some cases reversals of those systems.
 
I am in agreement with the OP. It's one of the reasons I've recently moved to Linux almost full time. I still use a Windows PC occasionally because my son uses my old gaming PC. But my laptop is now Linux and I use that most. I am also considering a move away from Gmail.

Sadly there isn't much I can do about my Android phone apart from move to iOS.
 
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