Rubenerd

Windows 10 has been controversial for reasons I'm relieved for. People are starting to take their online privacy seriously, and large players potentially abusing it under the guise of “adding functionality” are finally being held to task. This is a victory for everyone.

That's not to say there hasn’t been a struggle. Journalists like Ed Bott have dismissed legitimate concerns over tracking, and even deleted comments like mine that sought to question it. Companies have denied their tracking activities, or paid lip service with incomplete opt-out checkboxes.

Microsoft’s Terry Myerson has responded to the backlash. The blog post doesn’t address all the concerns (or even most of them), and the tone is somewhat patronising, but it’s a start. They even took a thinly veiled (and justified) swipe at Google:

Unlike some other platforms, no matter what privacy options you choose, neither Windows 10 nor any other Microsoft software scans the content of your email or other communications, or your files, in order to deliver targeted advertising to you.

As Terry says, trust is earned.