[pilsetnieks]

This one might be more relevant: "Disable sharing of Spotlight searches with Apple" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8473580

Hint: you have to uncheck two checkboxes that OS X explicitly tells you about in the very same Spotlight preferences, plus another one in Location preferences.

[facepalm]

The spotlight preferences are not explicit. I would never have opened them without reading this news item first.

However, I can understand the philosophy of searching the wen and the desktop in parallel.

Ubuntu does the same (they search Amazon, not sure if also the web in general), and they also got a lot of flak for it.

[pilsetnieks]

What I meant with explicit was that they are explicitly described in the text that is shown on clicking the button called "About Spotlight Suggestions and Privacy."

If one would never even open Spotlight preferences, then yeah, it is not possible to see, enable or disable those preferences. But then one should also not complain that it is impossible to enable or disable these preferences. By that logic, every application that does anything with any privacy implications should have it's primary interface littered with preference toggles to make it completely obvious how it's functionality can be altered.

[izacus]

I think a basic warning, information or other type of system making a user aware, that all their searches are being shared with 3rd parties is not an unreasonable demand.

Having people go to two preferences dialogs just to find out that contents of search box are being sent to USA datacenters is a dangerous dark pattern.

[batmanthehorse]

It gives a basic warning to make the user aware. Any time they use Spotlight until they disable the related features. http://core0.staticworld.net/images/article/2014/10/spotligh...

[muyuu]

Didn't the other article claim that it still continues phoning home even if you disable these?