So Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 and 8.1 users are being targeted to be automatically update to Windows 10 via the Windows Update utility. While this has been happening since September and in October Microsoft called this an ‘accident’, now they are admitting that their plan is to get every Windows 7 and 8.1 PC (that can run Windows 10) on to Windows 10. Right now the Windows 10 Update is only an optional update, but in ‘early 2016’ it will become a recommended update. For those user who have their update settings to automatically download and install recommended updates, they are going to find themselves updating to Windows 10.
But in “early” 2016 things will become more aggressive and Microsoft will again reclassify Windows 10 as a “Recommended” update. Given the default setting on Windows 7 and Windows 8 is for all Recommended updates to install automatically this means the vast majority of users will find the Windows 10 install process starts up on their machines.
“Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device,” admits Myerson.
As if this isn’t bad enough, Microsoft is holding firm that users CANNOT opt-out of core data collection. Windows 10 user can change the default privacy settings on most everything else with a little hunting and pecking.
“In the cases where we’ve not provided options, we feel that those things have to do with the health of the system,” he said. “In the case of knowing that our system that we’ve created is crashing, or is having serious performance problems, we view that as so helpful to the ecosystem and so not an issue of personal privacy, that today we collect that data so that we make that experience better for everyone.”
Ars Technica UK has more detailed information about the data Windows 10 is sending out when it randomly phones home to Microsoft.
via Forbes | Gordon Kelly
