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by tor_user 2748 days ago
Microsoft have a long history of overriding and ignoring hosts configurations to their own addresses so I am skeptical on the utility of this. I think you might be a little too trusting.

I do not have time to repeat the efforts outlined by government contractors in the above links with this add on applied, I doubt you do either.

Better for me to avoid the OS altogether.
2 comments
theclaw 2748 days ago
They do ignore the hosts file, it’s true - but they don’t ignore windows built-in firewall. I used it to blacklist a bunch of hosts when I had wireshark open to diagnose an unrelated problem and noticed all my keystrokes in the start menu search box were being sent to MS, as well as details about every application I launched. The search box keystrokes were going to onedrive - presumably to show me files matching from there, but I don’t see why they can’t download a list of files and locally search that. Sending every keystroke in that box is unnecessary.
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tor_user 2748 days ago
Very interesting info, but they own the OS and in some cases the compiler: https://www.infoq.com/news/2016/06/visual-cpp-telemetry

Given that, I don't care to engage in whack a mole with them. They have the upper hand.

Safe for visual studio and visual studio code users to assume that the IDEs are sending telemetry too.

In my case the best thing is to avoid the OS. And github and whatever else their malign influence could eventually own.

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nickjj 2748 days ago
I don't think it's a matter of being too trusting. I know what I'm getting into by using Windows.

I don't sweat it because I know I did everything I could on my end to minimize being spied on without it really affecting me in a negative way. Like you said, I don't have time to match the efforts of full time govt employees.

I spent a grand total of 30 minutes researching and tinkering with privacy related settings since I started using Windows 10, and I'm ok with that.

I use the tool I linked not only for modifying my hosts file, but it's a 1 stop menu to access all of Microsoft's scattered privacy settings.

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tor_user 2748 days ago
> I know what I'm getting into by using Windows.

the problem is rather that you think you do - but you don't and can't.

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nickjj 2748 days ago
No, I understand that I'm not in full control over what MS does with privacy related settings.

By using Windows, I'm accepting that, and in my case, instead of hunting through 15 different privacy settings screens in the control panel, I use that app to have them all in 1 place.

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