Microsoft Admits Home Users Cannot Stop Windows 10 From Phoning Home

Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore recently admitted that home users are going to be hard pressed to stop the Windows 10 upgrade train.

Windows 10 has been reclassified as an optional update now so that if you have Windows configured to install optional updates, Windows 10 will be installed by default.

Early next year, Microsoft will reclassify Windows 10 again – this time as a recommended update.  Again, those users who have configured Windows to install recommended updates, the update will start the install when they do their normal updates.

Users will still have to click on the prompts and will be able to cancel the update, but for many users, that will wind up being too confusing and they will wind up upgraded to Windows 10.

Users will have a 31 day downgrade period where they will be able to uninstall Windows 10, but again, that will be too complicated for a lot of users.

This is all being done under the disguise of making it easier for you to upgrade to Windows 10 – whether you want to or not.

On the other hand, Microsoft is also admitting that home users will not be able to turn off core data collection and transmission — period, short of figuring out how to block traffic back to Microsoft completely.

They claim that this is because they know what is good for you and you don’t.  One more time, when you get something for free, there is likely a catch.

Of course at some point, the Feds may step in and “suggest” that Microsoft is being dishonest, but they are playing by the rules of the license agreement – the one that no one reads.

Windows 10 home users will also not be able to disable updates and in fact, Microsoft is not even telling them exactly what is being installed.

Maybe it is time to look at a Mac or Chromebook.

It even has the ability to log your browser history and your keystrokes.

If this sounds like a commercial for Apple, it might as well be – and in fact, Apple is already using this in advertising.

For Pro and Enterprise users, those users will be able to disable automatic updates.  This is a calculated move on Microsoft’s part knowing that businesses will just choose not to upgrade if they do not allow them to disable updates.  This is what Microsoft saw with Windows 8 – many businesses just never upgraded at all.

For enterprise users (for whom Windows is NOT free, so for whom they do not need to sell your data to pay for the software), those users will be able to disable ALL phone-home transmissions – again for the same reason.  For enterprise users, if they felt that Microsoft was uncontrollably snooping on them, they either would not upgrade or would block all traffic back to Microsoft at the corporate edge.

I am not sure how long this will last.  If Apple ramps up the advertising, it can’t be good for Microsoft’s business and they really won’t be able to respond, since what Apple is saying is accurate.

Stay tuned for updates.

Information for this post came from two Forbes – articles .

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