Windows 11 sends user data to third parties
PC Security Channel, as captured by TechSpot, performed an analysis of DNS traffic generated by a freshly installed copy of the Windows 11 operating system on a new laptop, using Wireshark network protocol analyzer to get accurate results.
Apparently, it seems that user data is not only sent to Microsoft, but also to many third parties, such as Steam , McAfee , geo.prod.do and Comscore ScorecardResearch.com. This has led PC Security Channel to define Windows 11 as a real " spyware ", raising important concerns regarding the privacy of users and how their data is managed and used by Microsoft and third parties.
To compare with the past, PC Security Channel ran the same test with Windows XP , an operating system over 20 years old. The results showed that in this case, only the Windows Update servers were contacted, indicating a significant increase in the amount of data collected and sent by Windows 11 compared to previous versions of the OS. Microsoft has not yet released any official comment regarding these concerns, but PC Security Channel will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates as needed.
However, the Windows terms of service mention data collection of telemetry, stating that the user accepts this practice by accepting the software usage agreement. Also, according to PC Security Channel, even when telemetry tracking is disabled by third-party utilities, Windows 11 still sends some data.
Undoubtedly, this situation could lead users concerned about the privacy and security of their data to be even more careful and, perhaps, also avoid installing Windows 11 itself, perhaps considering more secure open source alternatives such as the various Linux distributions.