ImpulsE69
Lifer
- Jan 8, 2010
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What exactly does a company like MS (or whoever they outsource to) do with all the data they collect on INDIVIDUALS? Or do they only collect it for more general reports on tendencies and likes, etc. for MS users in general?
I mean, would I have to worry about what they know specifically about ME and that I visit thisstore.com for purchases twice a month or that I watched Chicago.Fire.xvid.s04e02? I don't get the big deal if I'm just one in 10 million and they know about "us". Unless they do something to me specifically (and I'm not talking about targeted ads), why would I want to be worried? Would they collect CC info I input into websites (they won't use it anyway and this would be a huge legal issue for them)?
So, I would say at the moment, none of that is an issue...NOW, but the potential is there. The problem with companies is many will do whatever they can get away with. Let's say today, they aren't collecting CC info. 2 years down the road when they've assimilated everyone into Win 10, they make some seemingly benign change to their collection strategy and let's say by 'accident' it collects CC data and a bunch of additional data that it never did before. THEN, someone hacks their database (which, sorry, WILL happen..more than once I am sure). Now, you need to be worried. If nothing else has been proven it is that external companies cannot be trusted to keep data private. There is no denying that. The only reason it isn't a bigger deal is that up to this point the fallout of getting said data stolen has been small at a consumer level.
This is just an example, and it isn't a matter of 'how or what if'. THIS SCENARIO WILL HAPPEN in some form.
The truth is, everyone should be worried about automated background collection of data. It just simply shouldn't happen. Unfortunately we've been slowly weened to be OK with it. Smartphones are pretty bad about it, but on a personal level, I don't really use smartphones in the same manner as I use my PC, and don't have any intention to. MS's goal is to do both. They can do this WITHOUT collecting any data, so why are they collecting data at all? Money. And when money is involved, things will eventually go bad.
Inputting "midget donkey porn" into google is NOT the same as an OS constantly sending automated data to a database.
But of course, the "hai guys I does nothing wrong" group will brush it off like conspiracy theory.
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