What Can You Do About Windows Privacy

What Can You Do About Windows Privacy
When it comes to privacy, you really have none, a lot of people blame Microsoft, but the problem is bigger than Windows 11 telemetry. Even if you use Linux, your data is still being harvested.
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#windows11 #windows10 #tech

[@charlesxix]

I received an SMS text from my GP asking me to go in for a regular liver blood test. I logged on and made an appointment. A couple of days later I started getting suggestions from KZbin about Liver problems etc. THEY ARE WATCHING US. Thanks Brian.

[@STONE69_]

Thats exactly what happens, but there are way to prevent this from happening.

[@inappropriatejohnson]

I solved this problem by going "off the grid". And I live in a cave. Beneath the sea. On the Jovian moon Europa. Smart, ya?

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

not enough as long as you are still here in YT

[@louf7178]

They sensed the void.

[@BuriedUnkind]

@inappropriatejohnson I hope you are using a VPN. A Virtual Planetary Network.

[@tincans87]

I couldn't agree more! If you want to keep your info private, stay offline. Well stated Brian.

[@mikeunt44]

This you are hearing it from a guy that stays private in his videos. Have you ever seen this guy? He makes videos for$$$$

[@bleakyfinder2692]

Down to Earth the Truth, Well said Brian.

[@Britec09]

You're welcome

[@ivovladimirov9599]

@@Britec09 Sad but true!

[@JohnDoe-wl8zk]

You can improve your privacy up to a certain point "for free". If you go further, you'll need to start sacrificing convenience and this is where the dilemma starts. Is it really worth? That answer is different to every person because every person has a different threat modeling. But doesn't matter how deep in the rabbit hole you go, you'll never reach absolute privacy or anonymity. This is a hard pill you must swallow as soon as possible. Have a great day, to whoever is reading this.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

nothing is for free, to begin with, and one person may one day or one session need one level of privacy and the next day or session may need a different level of privacy. The most difficult is to understand what is your real minimal privacy level. Enhanced privacy can be reach with very little effort though. Using Mullvad, Librewolf or Tor is the way to go, when using web browser

[@soonerproud]

@@user-od4gs3iu4t Every browser can be fingerprinted, and its user identified, unless it's on the TOR network. Even on the TOR network, once you log onto a site, your privacy goes out the window. There is no completely private browser and those browsers making such claims are lying to you.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

@@soonerproud this browser delegates all your privacy to you. Just like we understand the meaning of this word, right? It's up to you then if you want to send your bank details, your name, or your home address to some remote server or via some messenger. This browser makes the best attempt to deny your identification by means of your digital fingerprinting. So they don't misinform you, you might just misunderstand the rules

[@soonerproud]

@@user-od4gs3iu4t You still have a unique fingerprint which they can identify you without logging into anything. You're not invisible on any browser and none can eliminate a unique fingerprint.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

@@soonerproud it's an open source project. If you found any type of information that can be used as a unique digital fingerprint, please report it to the project maintainers. As far as I know, everything is OK these days. This doesn't mean that the method is perfect. It is as good as conceptually possible. Denying it and preaching that no privacy is possible in this world is no better than spreading gossips

[@PopsSinging]

You are stirring the pot with this video Bryan...lol. I agree with you of course and know that most people who aren't tech savvy or Linux users (I use Linux and Windows) don't give a toss about privacy. It irritates me to no end that everyone is collecting data but, we would need a ground up overhaul of laws to stop those who aren't lawbreakers from collecting and using data. Those who break the law constantly don't care about the laws of course...fines are a cost of doing business to them.

[@Britec09]

Tired of being attacked by Linux users, just letting them know, they have same issues with privacy. There is no need for the abuse I get from them on a daily basis.

[@tonywise198]

@@Britec09 From a Linux User, who used Windows for years, I would totally agree with you. I think a lot of the stuff lately is because of the update cock-ups and advert (suggestions?) placement in Windows that gets some people. Just no place for rudeness in YT comments and certainly no place for personal attacks.

[@Mario583a]

Let him cook.

[@davidthescottishvegan]

Yes privacy affects you regardless whether you use Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux. Because if you use KZbin, Tiktok and apps from social media and big tech (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta) and even outside of big tech and social media there is no guarantee of privacy.

[@Britec09]

Correct

[@robert8]

So basically using any operating system, we are doomed in terms of privacy.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

nope. DOS has a very good privacy

[@louf7178]

What's interesting is how KZbin combines subjects, i.e. how they use the information, to find a video with that combination. Some weird videos occasionally come up for me.

[@lloydc5736]

I use both Linux (Mint) and Windows, and in my eyes no OS is data harvest free, between ISP's, OS's, online browsers, websites no matter what they claim, you're being tracked, sad but its a fact, with the possible exception of Tails.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

being tracked is a common misconception. your digital fingerprints are collected, but nobody make any special efforts to track you unless you are a very important person like Snowden or Assange. Wear digital gloves and don't make digital fingerprints, if you don't want to feel like big tech is watching you

[@DobiTech]

You've quite literally made me think about all of this in a different light, thank you very much.. This has helped a lot

[@Britec09]

I'm so glad!

[@Mantikal]

I remember typing something on notepad in Windows and what I was typing about in that app was what began appearing on YT as ads. I once called a MS tech (of course in India) for an issue I was having and all the guy asked was "What's your MS email? Then he tells me to open a folder. As I'm doing that, my hand slipped off my palm rest pad - which caused me to accidentally make the cursor slide on the screen and hit an icon in the bottom task bar, That caused a "system sound" to happen. A second later, that same sound came through my phone too. So, that means all this guy needed was my email address and he was instantly hearing and seeing everything I was doing on my desktop. I didn't tell that guy anything at that moment, but in my mind that right there was my "Ohhh, Helllll No!! moment. So, that really means that any one of these MS techs - if they're bored can just randomly run through a list of accounts and can just log in and watch everything you're doing - and you'd never know it was happening. That's a real comforting thought if you happen to be a company lawyer and you're duty is to maintain "attorney-client-privilege" / secrecy - and yet MS can see all the legal documents and emails you're working for your client.

[@BracesForImpact]

I run NextDNS with windows privacy settings and a VPN where necessary, as well as have most privacy-invasive switches within Windows 11 turned off. Combined, these seem to do a decent job. I'm under no illusion that I cannot be tracked or send information. I just try to make things a bit more difficult for the casual bad actors.

[@Britec09]

That's all you can do

[@bakerdonut2429]

fantastic video! .. i have been subscribed and watching every video you ever made for over 12 years and i want to say honestly every single one of your video's have helped me in some way, i wanted to thank you very much,

[@Britec09]

Wow, thank you!

[@techrescuestl]

NAILED IT. 🔨 Well done, Brian.

[@levin6961]

Thanks for your comments, Brian. We all have to do our best to protect what we have, that's why I will continue watching your training. I like your closing comment, "At the end of the day, you have no control, you gave that up when you went on the internet."

[@ScottParsloe]

I don't always see eye-to-eye with Brian's opinions, but this video comes across very defeatist and pessimistic, sadly, and I think this plays into the hands of the ‘big tech’ corporations that seem to want control over their users which is such a shame. I think we'll struggle to have 100% privacy, but that doesn't mean we should just abandon the principles of privacy and being in control of our data. I've slowly started to ‘decouple’ my computing ‘entity’ from the likes of Microsoft, Google and Amazon, but it's not a quick and simple process, mainly because of how ingrained these corporations are in our everyday life. But I think there's a big difference between data capture for legal/security requirements and for marketing purposes, for which Microsoft et al are mainly in the latter. Just because some people don't care about their privacy, it doesn't mean everyone does, plus opinions can change. I was very pro-Microsoft and a dyed-in-the-wool Windows user for nearly 25 years, but things have changed and I've also changed my stance on my data. I think the key is finding a balance in what data you easily and clearly want to share, and what data you don't, and I think the big corporations are very good at confusing users and muddying that choice. If life was like The Matrix, would you want to be held within it or free of it? 🤔

[@prodigys9823]

I understand with her same, and you are correct, but they are programs where you can limit the Telemetry windows operating system with other programs send there’s a program that I have been using called portmaster and controld They work very well, especially Portmaster. It tells me how much telemetric data has been blocked and it’s not perfect but it is a very good solution and you have a free version.

[@nemowei5553]

I use Linux but i agree. What i don't like on Windows 11, the ads, the implemented AI copilot. I don't like to have AI implemented in my OS.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

just using linux is not enough. It's a good big step towards digital freedom, but in the end it is a long road

[@laurentitolledo1838]

AI copilot is just an OS level version of clippy, with a few upgrades...

[@vladimirlitvinov7827]

Thank you. What do you think about Tor/Orbot?

[@Britec09]

I have seen paranoid people use VPN and Tor crazy

[@ThemePro24]

Use Linux instead with OpenVPN or WireGuard. You seem to be suggesting that since 100% privacy and security isn't feasible on the Internet, we should just throw in the towel and use Windows with Chrome and no VPN. No sorry

[@PopsSinging]

He spoke about it in the video, a lot actually. Information is harvested no matter what OS you use.

[@Britec09]

You are delusional if you think you are private on Linux

[@markb8330]

@@Britec09 he didn't say that but Windows by far is less private than Linux.

[@markb8330]

@@PopsSinging Windows will harvest a bounty compared to Linux .

[@Anon-Man.]

all you doing by using VPN and whatever else is giving you data to the third party instead giving it to Google and Microsoft....what makes you think that Linux and your VPN provider respect your Privacy? lol and how do you know that 100% to be true?

[@PhD63]

Thanks Brian, very informative. Ignore the haters and keyboard warriors, keep on doing what you're doing.

[@Britec09]

Thanks, will do!

[@Numb_Lock]

Just run wireshark on your machine for 5minutes and you'll be shocked at the network activity going on while your PC is connected and on "idle". Trying to stay completely private these days is truly an exhausting exercise...

[@ShadowzGSD]

compared to everything else added up i don't think microsoft make much of a dent in the data harvesting pile. can we even trust when you turn a setting off that it does anything other than change an icon on screen?

[@ShadowzGSD]

just got to the bit where you touched on this, should watch the whole video before commenting.

[@icantcomeupwithnames469]

And that's why you use Linux, because you have the fundamental freedom to investigate how it runs and even modify the code so it works however you want it to. Microsoft just spits on your freedoms.

[@ShadowzGSD]

@@icantcomeupwithnames469 did you even watch the video Coco? Linux sucks anyway.

[@LeeEnfield-iw3qk]

Hiya, I understand what your saying about Privacy as a `newbie` how do Banks etc deal with tracking/security when we are on line Banking ?

[@XM394-xxx]

Feelings were hurt here lol

[@mikeunt44]

Even if you get 50-80% privacy, its a win win win.

[@mitchelldarnell5334]

How about making it illegal to gather the information??

[@Britec09]

Can't see that happening

[@67Steve]

Its the same with the VPN companies saying they don't save any of your private info but that doesn't mean the company they are renting the servers from isn't.

[@easycretor]

Privacy and windows? I have a Steam account and GOG. account that's what I do on Windows. I work as a network administrator I had to do stuff in Windows. No banking or finances or anything else in Windows, and I surf the Internet on a Linux box or my Apple Computer. I own virtual private networks set up on a server in Chicago. This means everybody thinks I live in Chicago Illinois in the US. But I don't live anywhere near there I live on a boat in Spain. And do I get weird advertisements? Condominium outside of Chicago.

[@DJEscreet]

Privacy is something that should be respected by all. It's shame that we have to go to the lengths we do to maintain some element of that. We will never be able to hide 100% of the traffic we individually produce. But we can do an awful lot to minimise it, or shift the traffic outlet to an acceptable level and location. How much extra effort does one go to to make themselves feel comfortable? I don't think paranoia is a bad thing as you suggest, paranoia is healthy. In this case it can teach you to find an acceptable level of privacy balanced with the extra work involved as a trade off deemed acceptable by the user's technical ability.

[@MrSamadolfo]

🙂 if your paranoid there are some channels here on youtube that do really deep dives on how to increase privacy and reduce your footprint

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

digital fingerprint ) but yeah almost the same

[@WafflePanB]

I love my choice of Linux mint, it works for my usecase, and if I'm honest, I am a Linux fanboy, privacy is an added plus. I actually use the alternative net called Geminispace but that's not the point. Privacy is a war at this point, mullvad VPN seems to be THE most privacy protecting service. I just hated that Microsoft, had taken my choice to be private away. Its not just them though!

[@WafflePanB]

Oh an britec, you have people on polycentric making comments too

[@WafflePanB]

Forgot to say great video britec I was hurt a little hearing about my 2 Bob OS

[@tonywise198]

All so very true. Just be a bit circumspect with what you do online and treat everything with caution. Technology is the enshitification of life!

[@robcarley7506]

Shame some one can't create a program that force injects and sends a delete code with the telemetry.

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

the difference between DDG and Alphabet is that we know 4 sure that Alphabet does collect a lot of data. And DDG claims they don't

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

linux typically doesn't need any AV ) just an example why OSes aren't the same, and some have more privacy focus that the others )

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

using FOSS software reduces the risk of being "tracked" i.e. sending some reports to their HQ

[@kenwong7083]

Britec, thanks for enchancing my fear. You should submit your video script for a movie :) Just kidding.

[@tylerblox676]

best technological advice video ever

[@JimKJ3N]

Your smart phone collects as much data as any OS, browser, etc. Be sure to get rid of that, too. Or you could just STFU about "privacy".

[@libremerlin]

Good video 👍

[@Britec09]

Thanks 👍

[@bokami3445]

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here....

[@francisbacon2401]

It is like loss of confidence in government all over the world. Prepare to self defense. I do not use a cell phone....

[@mikeunt44]

Me too, I no longer have much use for one.

[@davinp]

DuckDuckGo advertises that they don't collect data as Google does

[@Britec09]

What they say and what they do is two different things

[@Kazuhira95]

why not block them trolls?

[@Britec09]

I do

[@trolltime1862]

Where are those troll's, never heard of them.

[@CedroCron]

Run Chris Titus Windows utility (he's an Microsoft MSCE certified engineer) to strip out all the telemetry and tracking, set the update to be delayed (or off completely), modify your LMHOSTS file to DNS Sinkhole the Microsoft domains collecting information, Run OO Shutup 10, and install the Simple-Wall Windows Firewall or Safing Portmaster and spend some time training it not to let any traffic out of your computer that you don't know what it is. It can be done... Throwing in the towel is the wrong advice Brian. You can eliminate 99.9% of the spying / telemetry

[@Britec09]

It does NOT remove 99.9% telemetry, you have been misinformed

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

I wouldn't go with ALL CTT advices, but the rest I recommend as well. The most important is tuning your firewall, cause the rest might be "patched" in the next win update

[@HarrowUK1]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💯💯🔥🔥AMEN!!!

[@glasseffect]

When a company relieves it's QA team, telemetry is the only way to monitor software runaways. Of course, a user should not worry about paying for a beta software and a billion dollar industry running on the bad experiences of its users. No sir, we don't understand anything, because we are not educated enough. But we know what bad experience is.

[@raginald7mars408]

I stay with win 7 forever as anonymous user micro S$$$$oft = Terror Organization

[@OlettaLiano]

🤣

[@Britec09]

That is a ridicules statement. You are still using there OS 😂

[@OlettaLiano]

@@Britec09 Yes, as well as the internet. And with the invention of AI, it's even easier for companies to track you.

[@johnmilner7603]

LMAO 😂

[@mikeunt44]

How are those trojan's and spyware doing in the background hahaha!

[@STONE69_]

So all those wonderful privacy things you taught us, was all for not?🙃

[@Britec09]

No, never said that, I said there is no guarantee it stops telemetry 100%

[@Proppis]

with other word not much since microsoft love to controll people and wouldent suprise me if they make computer to turn off for meet the green deal

[@krisachar]

👍

[@Britec09]

Cheers

[@jhna314]

Switch to Linux

[@macqstena1056]

What do you mean, Linux is a two bob company and they have millions of users? What are you talking about?

[@stevearchambault6125]

Now as a troll and Linux user I guess.Now your spreading misinformation yes there is no privacy ONLINE but there is a difference between online privacy and OS base privacy. Online, everyone knows there is no such thing as privacy you can try VPN extension in your browser etc. but it's not 100%. OS base privacy is when you didn't open a browser and looking at documents, picture, movie etc. there should be no telemetry there right I'm not online. But with Microsoft even without being in a browser they know how many movies you watched how many document you viewed what you are doing on your pc and before you tell me that's not true they snitched on themselves not long ago when they said they were going to show only people that play games on there pc game ads oh sorry recommendations how do they know i play games? On windows without a browser open, you have shit ton of connections in and out your pc on linux nothing except the update manager checking every now and then. Look I personally choose Linux because I wanted my OS not online to respect my privacy and Microsoft wasn't doing that in my eyes. If you're happy with the way Microsoft treats its user's then that's up to you but don't call us trolls because we give our opinions on stuff because now that makes you a troll and a Microsoft fanboy.

[@vardagsteknik6576]

In this video, you are really whiny. It is believed that many of your videos are precisely about debloating and turning off trackers and data collection. It's no wonder people write comments about that. After all, you make money from these videos

[@user-od4gs3iu4t]

the good seller always makes the money twice. First when sell you some kind of fast food. Second whey you come to buy some fat burning medicine )

[@Britec09]

You don't deserve a response, but I will. My channel is a tutorial channel on how to do thing. Does not mean you have to do them.

[@vardagsteknik6576]

@@Britec09 again. If can't handle folkes comments. Dont do these kind of videos.

[@watup110875]

only true way to stay safe, don't par take

[@HarrowUK1]

@britec09 people watch way to much tv/movies mate and also not very clever if they dont get the comments no matter they are or how many are what gets vids on a platform algorythm IYKYK love those so call trolls