EU Remains Skeptical Of Microsoft's Windows 10 Privacy Controls And Data Collection Policies

[Batu69]

It looks as though Microsoft just can’t catch a break when it comes to the privacy settings incorporated into Windows 10. The company came under fire shortly after the launch of the operating system during the summer of 2015 over concerns that personal information was being beamed back to the mothership in Redmond, Washington; and Microsoft hasn’t completely alleviated those concerns for some.

 

 

The latest to show signs of skepticism is the European Union (EU). According to Reuters, the Article 29 Working Party, which is composed of 28 governing bodies that enforce data protection laws, is taking issue with the default privacy settings that are enabled when a user first installs Windows 10 (or boots into the OS for the first time). The group is concerned about how the customer data is obtained and how it is subsequently stored by Microsoft.

 

"In light of the above, which are separate to the results of ongoing inquiries at a national level, even considering the proposed changes to Windows 10, the Working Party remains concerned about the level of protection of users’ personal data," said the group in a statement.

 

The move from the EU comes despite the fact that Microsoft recently announced new changes to privacy settings within Windows 10 to increase transparency. The new privacy settings, which will be included in the Windows 10 Creators Update this spring, were added in part to appease both regulators and anxious customers.

 

 

“At Microsoft, we are deeply committed to protecting our customers’ privacy. This includes providing clear choices and easy-to-use tools that put you in control of how your information is collected and used,” said Windows Chief Terry Myerson in January. “Trust is a core pillar of our More Personal Computing vision, and we are working hard to make sure Windows 10 is the most secure Windows ever and a product you love and trust.”

 

Back in July, France's National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) expressed its own dissatisfaction with Windows 10’s penchant for collecting excessive customer data. “We built strong privacy protections into Windows 10, and we welcome feedback as we continually work to enhance those protections,” said Microsoft at the time.

 

“We will work closely with the CNIL over the next few months to understand the agency's concerns fully and to work toward solutions that it will find acceptable.”

 

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[WALLONN7]

European authorities raise fresh concerns over Windows 10 data collection

 

 

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced changes to Windows 10 to offer users greater control over how it collects data about them from its devices and services. Among the changes were a new web privacy dashboard, and a new privacy setup experience for devices, with a clear explanation of the types of data that Microsoft collects, and more granular controls for users to enable or disable them.

It later emerged that those new measures were announced after an investigation into Microsoft by Swiss data protection regulators that began in 2014. The company worked with Swiss authorities to introduce those new measures that it revealed last month - but elsewhere in Europe, data protection watchdogs appear to believe that the new features don't go far enough.

As Reuters reports, the Article 29 Working Party - a group formed of representatives from data and privacy regulators in each of the European Union's member states - wrote to Microsoft in 2016, before its recent announcements. Their letter raised concerns over how the company collected data, and how it was informing users of its intentions to collect and store that information about them.

The group said in a statement today:

In light of the above, which are separate to the results of ongoing inquiries at a national level, even considering the proposed changes to Windows 10, the Working Party remains concerned about the level of protection of users’ personal data.

One of the countries alluded to in that statement is France, where CNIL - the country's national data protection commissioner - accused Microsoft last year of collecting too much data on Windows 10 users, with a 'lack of individual consent'. It even went as far as criticizing some aspects of the operating system's security features.

The Article 29 Working Party pointed out today that Microsoft collects data in its OS for multiple purposes, including advertising, and added that the company "should clearly explain what kinds of personal data are processed for what purposes. Without such information, consent cannot be informed, and therefore, not valid."

The group also acknowledged that Microsoft has expressed a willingness to cooperate in addressing its concerns.

 

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