[jhugg]

So Windows has this problem more than other platforms because of OEMs and drivers and such are 3rd party by default, rather than as the exception.

Still, there isn't really sufficient protection to avoid telemetry and data collection on most of the platforms I use.

Mac App Store apps are somewhat sandboxed, but many common apps aren't. And running "little snitch" is great, but it's not for typical users.

[mtgx]

Microsoft itself does it, too, possibly more than OEMs do. Even if you block some of the telemetry with your firewall, they now seem to be opening new channels to send the data to Microsoft's servers. Their behavior is quite malware-like.

[pjmlp]

Well, everyone using web apps don't seem to mind having their life exposed to the whole internet.

[pecg]

And this is one of the things that worries me the most. The careless people that embrace confidently their lack of privacy, such group can quickly become the majority of a given population and follow a trend that can lead to social disaster in an Orwellian-Huxleyian way, without appearing as such in the surface.

[jenscow]

Web apps are running on another computer.

Windows and OEM software/drivers are on the local machine.

In a restaurant, I expect other people to see what I eat. In my own house, I don't.

[ksk]

You're sidestepping the argument. To stay consistent, you'd have to run a local mailbox service, DNS service, redundant data backup/storage service, audit your browser code, etc. Not exactly "most people".

In any case, IMHO the stronger argument is that just because webapps spy on you doesn't give Windows any right to do the same. Unfortunately, a lot of web companies have shown that people will throw money at you if you attract enough users, and sell their eyeballs or habits.