Microsoft Assured that Windows Keeps Emails Private
The software developer has responded to users’ privacy fears by claiming that Windows 10 does not scan emails, messages or files for advertising purposes. When Windows 10 was released, some people complained that the system had compromised their privacy due to its default settings. It turned out that even when all data collection settings were turned off, the operating system still sent identifiable data to the company.
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Microsoft explained which types of data it collects, saying that regardless of what privacy options a user chooses, neither Windows 10 nor any other Microsoft software scans the content of their email or other communications for targeted advertising purposes. However, Windows 10 collects two types of data.
The first type of data is reports about the problems in software, like crash logs, system and other diagnostic data. No user content or files belong to this type of data and Microsoft promised to avoid collecting any data that directly identifies the user – their name, email address or account ID.
The second type of data Windows 10 collects is information on user habits for the purpose of personalization. Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, collects the most, but the user can disable Cortana and other settings that remember user preferences like favorite sports teams and commonly typed words. It should be noted that other services, including Google Now, Siri and autocorrect software for keyboards also collect such data.
The problem is that Windows 10 was found to send personally identifiable data even when all personalization features were turned off, so the company remains under fire from privacy advocates who describe Windows 10 as the most invasive Windows yet.
