When Microsoft launched Windows 10, the company changed the long-standing way their OS functioned and updated. Moving to a software as a service model, Microsoft made Windows 10 updatable like its mobile counterparts. It also introduced many privacy infringing features aimed at improving data collection on users. Obviously, many were unhappy with these changes and two years later, with the Creators Update, Microsoft is still working on making privacy better.
During the initial releases, Windows 10 lacked obvious and fine-grained user control over privacy and data collection settings. Over time, things have gotten a bit better but were still lacking. With the new Creators Update, Microsoft is overhauling the system to make it more simple to control the data collection. Moving forward, there will be three levels of data collection, Basic, Enhanced, and Full. Users will also get more access to privacy control toggles upon installing the OS as well. Lastly, Microsoft is promising to honor user changes to privacy going forwards and will not reset privacy toggles to default after an OS update. This only applies if you use the usual update process instead of a manual one.
Compared to past data collection, Basic cuts it down to about half. Of course, the quality of the data and what is collected is more important than quantity but this is a good first step. You might notice that there is still no option to turn off all data collection. Microsoft has claimed that Windows 10 will not function without some data collection. However, that has not stopped Redmond from creating a special edition of Windows 10 for the Chinese government that cuts out all the spying. Perhaps one day, Windows 10 will finally stop user data collection but I don’t see that day coming anytime soon.
