I’m currently embroiled on an interesting debate on Windows 10 and it’s massive changes in privacy policy on another forum (some details here - Zerohedge). The basics are that Windows 10 will include (enabled by default) a keylogger, web history logger, voice & webcam logger, screen grabber, location logger, document/e-mail inspector, all with a unique identifier to you, all of which point back to MSHQ. Most of the debate points out that privacy has been gone for ages via other firms:
- Google & Facebook relentlessly mining data, even more minor websites grabbing what they can (including mouse position & keystrokes, presumably via some Flash “exploit”)
- ISPs being forced to hand over data without warrant
- NSA/GCHQ cracking encryption using Nvidia Titan GPUs amonst other APICs in days rather than months & years
- US Navy backdoor built into Tor (most exit nodes owned by US government
And the list goes on…
Other interesting points are people claiming that due to lack of privacy/security, only local LANs are secure - once you step out into the wider world, despite best efforts, privacy is gone. Your data is as good as public. In terms of Windows, it’s the blatant collection of data that is real shot across the bows - and now it all makes sense why this OS is free. I’d assumed they’d monetise it by creaming off the app store, but it’s now clear that they’ll comb your data and sell it to the highest bidder(s). Not to mention assisting the governments where profitable (call it “contracting”). I bring this up here, as the debate basically fractured into 2 camps - those resigned to defeat, accepting Windows and the theft of their personal information because it’s already happened (also includes those too apathetic to care, the “nothing to hide” crowd), and the other camp who are jumping ship to Linux or sticking with Windows 7/8 (no-one trusts Apple thanks to Siri). There’s an interesting claim that Linux isn’t any more secure, including distros like TAILS, because of the lack of privacy on the internet. I think it’s a real shame, and quite unnerving that it’s come to this, that the world has gone this way. I’ve known about Facebook for years hence why I don’t use it - it’s a rich company only because of data mining, and the social pressure that has built to provide that data to your “friends”, with no care that you’re giving it to Facebook as well, and then indirectly to the rest of the world.
Anyway, to prevent this becoming an irrelevant rant, I’ll pose a question - will we see another influx of new Linux users jumping ship, similar to when XP lost support?
