Microsoft is spying on you .... and yes there is proof

Quote:

---

People have been saying for years that Microsoft is spying on people using Windows. People have been spouting crazy sounding theories about how Microsoft knows what is on your computer, knows what movies you are watching, and is installing software over the internet without your knowledge. Those people are usually dismissed as kooks and paranoids, and are often challenged to "run a port sniffer and see for yourself". Well, it seems that a lot of people have a lot of crow to eat, because as it turns out, Microsoft really is spying on its users, and they've been caught at it red-handed.

---

Click here for full story.

>Wow this is crazy i think. Tell me what you guys think.

I think M$ is full of it and they'll say, do anything to sell you their software.


PuRe

Wow!!! I didnt know this! I'm using XP right now as im typing this reply. I wonder what I should do. This changes my outlook on microsoft. Thanks for the article.


Chris

Microsoft sucks.
and Yes, i use windows.

sounds like an ad for spycop to me

I moved it from ChitChat to Microsoft so people who follow Microsoft would be able to see it.

- JupMan

p.s. a re-direct still exists from the original ChitChat thead.

Everyone should use on outbound ACL (Access Control List) to stop any access to MS sites. They can't get the info if you can't connect to them...ha ha....

I agree with Dr. Fubar. I would need some additional information from a major news company that I have heard of before.

It could be true and if it is it doesn't bother me to much. If I want to buy a Microsoft Poduct then I buy it. If I don't want to buy it then I don't buy it.

Everyone knows that data is collected off of major websites. When you buy something it is maintained in a database. Whether you buy it off line or on. If you rent from Hollywood Video they keep track of your rentals. Do they sell the information? Probably. If you don't want to be tracked this way then buy with cash at Mom and Pop operations that don't use computers and have crappy filing systems.

Does M$ suck? Yes in many ways they do. However the type of information mining you are talking about is common and standard business practice. Everyone, including banks, supermarkets, telemarketers, and donation seekers do it. Lonely and want some phone calls then donate to the major political party of your choice (mine was to the Republicans) you will get phone calls and queries all the time from the National party, the state party, the county party and the local party. I was just surprised that the High School student version of the party didn't come by to sell me candy bars.

What Microsoft, Intuit, and Wal-Mart are doing doesn't scare me. What does scare me is how the Government is trying to get access to the information to use in civil and criminal prosecutions. This is where the intrusion is, that is where the assumption of privacy is violated. When Orwell talked about Big Brother watching he didn't mean Bill Gates but his model is quickly coming to resemble Uncle Sam.

Sounds to me like the site is just trying to make a little money. I would also need more news from a reliable source than that.

PeacE
-BoB

Use XP Anti-Spy (click the UK flag for the English version) and turn the bulk of that crap off.

Wow...I can't believe it took 11 posts for anti-spy to get mentioned...

why use xp it suks anyway

its just the exact copy of 200o pro


it just looks better :p


so do u think microsofr spys on 2000 too

i dunno anything about it


well how do you know its not hackers hacking to ur system


look unless uve installed ur o/s ur shelf shop people doesnot seem to put password on administrator accounts. How do u know someone is not using those stuff

I dont mean u are wrong


it can be right and it has the right to be right
i was gust givin my openion
thankx for ur time :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by allenb1963
Use XP Anti-Spy (click the UK flag for the English version) and turn the bulk of that crap off.

Wow...I can't believe it took 11 posts for anti-spy to get mentioned...

---

I use this on all my workstations.

You can even remove that annoying messagner... not just hide it, but remove it completely.

I personally just run a strong firewall, monitor with blackice and Fport, and read my logs several times a day. I see anything "calling home" or asking for internet, I question it. I approve or disapprove all comms to the net, so if they are getting thru, congrats to them, because they are doing so in away that I dont see with all this paranoia surrounding my foxhole.

Yup, XP-Antispy is a MUST HAVE for XP users

My girlfriend uses WindowsXP for the IE (she things konqueror sucks, Mozilla is ugly and Opera is the worst piece of crap ever seen..)

Next to Add-Aware XP-Antispy is the most valuable tool I installed on her box

I want to stop updating my pc from MS website from today

Well, it doesn't surprise me... All i can say is that is illegal for them to use the info in anyway, since it breaks several laws that state that you cannot gather Data and iffo on people without their approval (therefor always read software license agreements etc. befor installing software) in case they do I smell a billion $ lawsuit... This I think is the only reason they haven't been busting all the people using Warez software windows, ofice etc.

BTW. gathering information is legal storing it is not...

does any one nows to what site windows sends it? I think it's an sub-site of Microsoft.com, but any one now's it fore sure??? :confused:

And yes XP-AntiSpy is GREAT!

For the Greek here, i want to inform them that i am currently working on the translation of the last version of XP-AntiSpy.

Would just like to bring everybody's attention to a program called Bigfix. It works in a similar way to Windows Update, but with the spying. It directly downloads the correct executable needed to patch the system, and you can customize it for your OS. It's freeware and contains no spyware.

Click Here To Visit The Website And Download Bigfix

Regards,
Matt

of course windows update sends them a list of installed components and software on your PC - how else do they know what updates your PC needs. For example - if I don't have a program installed on my PC - am I going to want an update for that program - no - I'm not - does that mean they are spying on me - that's a matter of opinion. Of course I'm pro Microsoft - but I don't work for them or anything - I just hate seeing them get beaten up all them time. If you don't like how they run things - don't use microsoft - if you don't want to quit using them - and think the above process is spying - then don't do auto updates - but good luck having things run smoothly.

Before anyone beats me up - yes I read the article - the whole article - there is nothing new here - and the part of them being able to block you out of their website - I work for a bank - I can also block anyone's access to our website - and have a program that tells me statistics from each IP that logs on to our website - which OS and so forth - which browser - so I guess I'm spying on them as well?

I hope your post was not directed at me... I was merely suggesting another way to update your system.

Methinks the message wasn't clear enough, the Machine (aka Microsoft) is spying on you and they have for some time. I may be a paranoid schizo, but I've known that for a while. I'll also say this that most o' the time we are watchexd w/out our knowledge anyway and it doesn't matter who is doing it. G. Orwell's book is more right than wrong.
I know they can't keep a constant vigil on you other than the fact that you done something really illegal. then again there;s the TIA thing where the DOD (or similar) is going to put you in the database of troublemakers and that'll more-or-less be it for you (to a degree anyway)
Peteyman

The truth of the matter is that very few other companies (or no other companies) are in such an excellent position to spy on the world's population as Microsoft. They have written the code to the operating system for approx. 90% of the world's computers in use today, and they're making a run at the console gaming and cell phone markets as well. Microsoft owned websites are some of the most highly trafficked sites on the 'net. What is to stop them from gathering sensitive information covertly every time you check your Hotmail? Only a few lines of law. Do I think this will deter them from doing so? Not really. That information is just too valuable! They have likely developed their own protocols for transfering this information to their "knowledge base" outside of standard tcp/ip so they can be an even more dominant monopoly. Now, go buy an Apple and replace that Windows OS with Linux!

Seconded Moose! Wise fellow....

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by SodaMoca5
...then donate to the major political party of your choice (mine was to the Republicans)

What does scare me is how the Government is trying to get access to the information to use in civil and criminal prosecutions. This is where the intrusion is, that is where the assumption of privacy is violated. When Orwell talked about Big Brother watching he didn't mean Bill Gates but his model is quickly coming to resemble Uncle Sam.

---

How then, if you are scared of this goverments deeds, do you justify donating to the Republican Party? It's quite obvious that a conservative/right wing party is more interested in policing and accessing personal information thus taking (away) civil liberties.

This link will inform you about the new government's plans for the internet...
http://www.guerrillanews.com/civil_l...es/doc953.html

Like you didn't know this? ! So MS gets a list of all their products installed on your machine and other companies do the same as well, besides watching for all the pr0n/media/audio file u download... the sites your surf are being tracked, your government has a trojan laying somewhere in your ISP, nsa and other agencies have been sharing some of your emails with other countries, if you use your credit card, there are companies that specialize in providing a profile of your shopping habits to others, your insurance company knows more about you then imaginable, your phone may be bugged periodically w/o you even knowing it, your criminal&credit history are available for a reasonable fee of 20 dollars over the internet and somebody is about to fake your identity.


*WELCOME TO THIS WORLD*

Collapse the program you talking about don't have the source code of the Windows to made any further changes via the site of M$. I won't take any risk.

This info has been up on numerous Swedish IT-news sites, and I belive MS has even made a statment about WHY they collect information that should be considered private. I really need some links to back this up, but Im to lazy to go find them ;)

those are all preety great ideas

Hasn't anyone ever noticed that as soon as you order a book (or something) off of amazon or ebay about say ............. Windows XP for Dummies, for example - that within the next few days your email has 2 or 3 spams in it marketing ebooks or cd sets on exactly the same thing as the book you just ordered.

Off course we are spied on over the internet - why wouldn't they, we live in a capitalist society that lives with the threat of terrorists and cyber criminals everyday.

And honestly, no matter how much software you install to try to block out and protect against it - there will always be ways to circumvent the protection.

I have always thought, or was pretty sure about, that the companies who develop anti-virus ware also have 'backroom' departments that also develop the virus's too.

Well the same ones who spy on us are the same ones who develop the software that is supposed to stop them from being able to do it. You do the math ......

So unless your going to research every 'window' of opportunity for the spies (pardon the pun) and develop your own software - theres f^(|< all you can do about it.

1/ This is BLOODY OLD THREAD .. older than 2 years..

2/ WOW I never noticed this.. gee whiz...

Quote:

---

Hasn't anyone ever noticed that as soon as you order a book (or something) off of amazon or ebay about say ............. Windows XP for Dummies, for example - that within the next few days your email has 2 or 3 spams in it marketing ebooks or cd sets on exactly the same thing as the book you just ordered.

---

Look.. this is called AMAZON making money.. they already have your email address.. they then sell your purchasing information to a marketing company.. this has very bloody little to do with MS spying on you....
You would have still been sent that spam if you had used a Mac, or any of the *nix flavors..

Are those ture?

of course its true. If M$ cant identify your computer uniquely what kind of service is that?

I think they will say it is an anti-piracy precaution to make sure that updating computers are legit. Then they could block all the pirated windows out there.

ps: I think this is happening allready ;)