Windows 10 has been available to the public since late 2015 and has since established itself as the most popular Windows operating system. Not only private users, but also companies and organizations are increasingly using Windows 10 if they have not already switched. Anyway, new systems are delivered exclusively with the current operating system, so there is practically no option for Windows users.
At the start, the system was criticized by many sides – including the consumer center – for its extensive data collection. The question now is whether Microsoft has made improvements at this point. Because the collection of personal data and especially user behavior allow companies a lot more than you might think at first. A good example is the consumer behavior with which personalized advertising is displayed.
Current status with Windows 10 and data protection
In fact, the group has tweaked a few screws and improved the setting options with updates. However, some of these must be carried out directly when the operating system is installed, and data collection cannot be switched off completely. Nevertheless: Since April 2017 and the introduction of the “Creators Update”, users have been better informed about their options. However, these options must also be actively set, otherwise Microsoft will continue to be given far-reaching insights into their own user behavior under Windows 10.
According to the Federal Office for Information Security, the system still sends data to the company in all settings. However, it is emphasized that the settings made by the user are actually accepted and not ignored. In other words, if the user prohibits the collection of certain data, it will not be collected. PRIOLAN GmbH can find out how this all affects companies and private individuals due to the GDPR.
The settings are made here
You can access the data protection settings from the start menu by clicking on the gear icon. In the following menu there is actually already the “Data protection” tab. The following tabs should be studied very carefully, because after all, not every user has the same preferences when it comes to data protection. Some users would like to surf as anonymously as possible, others might actually be happy to receive customized advertising. Windows 10 does a good job here and offers many different options.
Conclusion: security and updates
It is important to always install the latest version of the operating system. This is not only advantageous for the latest security updates, but also for new possibilities in data protection, since, as mentioned, these have been expanded more and more over the years. With the right settings, Windows 10 can be turned into an operating system that continues to collect, process and send data, but within an acceptable range for normal users. The operating system is not a huge data octopus, but every user has to make all settings independently and should also be aware that personal data is always collected.
By the way, at least as important as the settings that are made in the operating system are the settings of the apps that run under Windows 10. For important apps, such as the camera or Skype, the settings can also be made separately. This is a huge advantage in Windows 10 data protection over previous versions.
