Q: I鈥檓 hearing a lot of issues concerning privacy with Windows 10. Should I be worried, or is it being overblown?
A: Microsoft took a completely different approach with Windows 10, and because of that, privacy concerns are being heatedly discussed across the Internet.
Some would have you believe that it鈥檚 a 鈥減rivacy nightmare,鈥� and that Microsoft is now tracking everything you do, whether you鈥檙e online or not.
While the changes are significant, I鈥檇 have to say much of what I鈥檝e seen reported is more salacious clickbait than a clear explanation of the issues.
One the new useful features in Windows 10 is Cortana, which works a lot like Siri and Google Now do on your smartphone. Cortana allows you to use your voice to schedule appointments, find local businesses or search for location-specific things on the Internet.
In order to accomplish these new tasks, it has to be able to record and store your voice, make use of your current location and access your contacts and calendar, and the privacy settings reflect these requirements.
Just like we鈥檝e seen with Facebook changes in the past, many read the privacy settings and statements and draw conclusions on what it really means.
If you鈥檙e comfortable using Siri or Google Now on your smartphone, then you shouldn鈥檛 be any more concerned with Microsoft leveraging the same technology to 鈥渆nhance the experience鈥� on your computer.
Having said that, I鈥檓 by no means advocating that you blindly agree to whatever Microsoft is asking for — just view it in the same light as you do the rest.
The good news is that it鈥檚 pretty easy to understand what each of the items in the privacy settings do (click the Start button, then Settings, then Privacy), so you can decide on a case-by-case basis whether you鈥檙e willing to share the information necessary to make use of the various features.
For instance, using your location information allows certain apps and websites to bypass asking you for a ZIP code for location-specific information (such as weather or finding a nearby restaurant). If you鈥檇 rather provide that information when you feel it鈥檚 useful, you should turn it off (although Google and many others pretty much already know your location).
Laptop users who are often on the go may find this feature useful; less so with users who are always in the same location.
There is much discussion about the 鈥淪end Microsoft information about how I write鈥� and 鈥淕etting to Know You鈥� settings, which is under the 鈥淪peech, Inking & Typing鈥� setting.
The primary concern comes from the relative vagueness of the explanation of features that really aren鈥檛 all that compelling, so most are turning them both off.
Another new feature, called the SmartScreen Filter, is getting slammed for 鈥渢racking everywhere you go,鈥� but it鈥檚 actually doing this to protect you from potentially harmful websites.
A lot of the other privacy concerns surround the use of their new web browser (Edge), which I鈥檓 not a big fan of anyway, so I don鈥檛 use it.
If you plan to use Edge, make sure you separately review the privacy setting in the browser as well (click on the three dots in the top right corner, then on Settings and review the Advanced Settings section).
The bottom line here is, you have to decide for yourself what鈥檚 reasonable; if you don’t plan to use a feature, turn it off.
Editor鈥檚 note:聽Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of 聽Ask any tech question you have on his聽.
