Has windows become spyware?

What ever you think, thisvideo from YouTubeis pretty interesting

What I think is that if people believe that Windows is spyware then they must be pretty stupid if they use Windows.

To save us wasting our time can you tell us which reputable computer security organisation published this Youtube video?

In reply to a post by TinyMongomery:

What I think is that if people believe that Windows is spyware then they must be pretty stupid if they use Windows.

Most stuff these days is spyware in that they want to get more and more info from you, even my TV is.
Depends on how you use the word spyware.

In reply to a post by gomezz:

To save us wasting our time can you tell us which reputable computer security organisation published this Youtube video?

They have a website called the POC security channel and it says We have years of experience testing every cybersecurity product on the market while producing some of the most watched and engaging cybersecurity content worldwide.
Some of the so-called reputable computer security organisations are not so reputable.

If you watch the video you will see what it is, he uses Wireshark on a new set-up of Windows 10 compared to Windows XP and looks to see what URL the computer is calling for, and Windows 10 is calling for some strange sites.

I just thought it was an interesting video, but it is up to you if you can't be bothered to watch it.

My view is that yes windows 10 and more so Windows 11 do send more data out and to be honest I thought it was only to MS, but it seems like that is wrong.
Sadly, the only way out of this is Linux, but since Linux don't have the software available or have problems with some hardware, we are stuck with Windows or Mac OS.

One of the reason I am looking at a Mac for my new computer is because of the way Windows is going and that if I have to use a OS that is becoming a closed garden, chuck adverts at me, push their browsers and search at me, try to force an account onto me and grab data in the name of telemetry then I may as well go for an OS that while have some of the problems, runs better and on a machine that use less energy and yet will run stuff better than some a lot of high-powered PC's running windows.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Most stuff these days is spyware in that they want to get more and more info from you, even my TV is. Depends on how you use the word spyware.

I think the term ‘Spyware’ should be reserved for malicious use. Windows Home edition is quite different to Pro and Enterprise, where there are controls. (Home seems to have little to no controls).

Anyone done a wireshark trace of macOS or iOS, as these OSes talk to the manufacturer all the time, people don’t seem to complain.

The TV is easy, pull out Ethernet cable and disable WiFi, and use an external device from Amazon or Google or Apple to watch stuff such as iPlayer or YouTube, or even HDMI cable from a PC or Mac.

The world of computer security has become murky as the vendors (MS / Apple) take over the level of trust, and we stop buying the likes of Norton, McAfee and similar. Also YouTube is interesting, but nobody independently validates any content.

Take it all with a pinch of salt.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

If you watch the video you will see what it is, he uses Wireshark on a new set-up of Windows 10 compared to Windows XP and looks to see what URL the computer is calling for, and Windows 10 is calling for some strange sites.

Much of the planet was on dialup when Windows 2001 was released. Not really a sensible comparison.

‘Strange sites’ could all be owned by MS. Was it really a clean install, or did they use a vendor disc/recovery tool? Too many questions.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I think the term ‘Spyware’ should be reserved for malicious use. Windows Home edition is quite different to Pro and Enterprise, where there are controls. (Home seems to have little to no controls).

Anyone done a wireshark trace of macOS or iOS, as these OSes talk to the manufacturer all the time, people don’t seem to complain.

The TV is easy, pull out Ethernet cable and disable WiFi, and use an external device from Amazon or Google or Apple to watch stuff such as iPlayer or YouTube, or even HDMI cable from a PC or Mac.

The world of computer security has become murky as the vendors (MS / Apple) take over the level of trust, and we stop buying the likes of Norton, McAfee and similar. Also YouTube is interesting, but nobody independently validates any content.

Take it all with a pinch of salt.

I know where you are getting at with using the term Spyware for malicious use, but many people will disagree with you.

I expect someone have done some sort of trace on Apple devices, I may have a search later when I get back home, just to be nosy.
Apple users are a different bread I think, not being nasty but a lot of them seems to take things as they are, I suppose a lot of Apple users are younger people, certainly for Iphones and have grown up with this, wanting to know what you are doing, where you are days.

It seems the norm for them, maybe why they are prepared to give so much data over to supermarkets and even to their local coffee bar just to get a few measly points. they seem to use apps for everything.

To be honest, I am getting to the point of why do I bother to resist, after all my house is full of Echo units, but then it is only me at home most of the time and the only thing they are going to hear is me talking to the cat.

If I pull out the Ethernet on my TV, it becomes a useless thing stuck in the corner, apart from being able to Play DVDs/Blueray.

You say the world of security is murky, I don't disagree, but it is not just security if you look at the video there seems to be some very strange websites Windows 10 chat to.

It was just something I saw while looking at YouTube and it seemed interesting.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Much of the planet was on dialup when Windows 2001 was released. Not really a sensible comparison.

‘Strange sites’ could all be owned by MS. Was it really a clean install, or did they use a vendor disc/recovery tool? Too many questions.

You're calling xp, Windows 2001, I suppose it is, but it is more for home users, I realise it was built on windows 2000 technology. I think a lot of people were on ADSL then, certainly in the UK, I had ADSL in 2000 a few months after it was available here. The U.S.A had cable. this is the problem with the always connected things, it gives manufactures of devices more excuses to get as much data as they can, in the name of a better service.
Yeah,

It would be nice if Ms would put an option to stop data being sent to them or other sites. Apple does at least allow people to opt out of telemetry on their computers, at least. i have no idea about the phones as i have never owned a Iphone.


By all accounts it was a clean install, it doesn't shock me, with apps running in the background on start up. I may have a look and see what data is being sent from my machine later, l just for the fun of it.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

It would be nice if Ms would put an option to stop data being sent to them or other sites.

What, like the options they put in Windows Professional to turn off all telemetry?

If you're worried use Windows Professional, not Windows Home.

But you really need to send some data to Microsoft (Apple, whoever) so that you can check for security updates and/or virus definition updates (an organization will manage this from a central server that they control and monitor - that's not a sensible option for home users). I'm more than happy to send that data and to send data about malicious software or spam that finds its way onto my computer. That makes life safer for the whole community.

Don't be too sure about Apple; they have a history of having collected data without telling the users they were doing so.