Microsoft Outlines Windows 10 Privacy Policies

Microsoft has been dealing with a bit of a backlash regarding its new policies under the “Windows as a Service” concept in Windows 10 including some significant concern coming from Torrent trackers regarding Microsoft’s ability to block pirated software from executing, although labeling blocking stolen software a “privacy concern” seems a bit of a stretch. In response, Microsoft has published a set of FAQs for Privacy in Windows 10 that provides a view into the privacy policies of a number of the services in Windows 10 including Cortana, Microsoft Hello, and Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft’s privacy overview begins with this explanation of why they collect data and how the user is in control of what is collected.

We understand the security of your personal information matters to you—and we have taken a comprehensive approach to customer privacy with Windows 10, with two key principles in mind:

Windows 10 collects information so the product will work better for you. A limited amount of information is required to help enable a safe and reliable Windows 10 experience, but Windows 10 offers a rich set of privacy options that you can customize. As is the case with all modern services and the benefits they provide, they inherently require some collection and trusted use of data. Collection and use of appropriate data is necessary in Windows 10 to provide the basic aspects of these modern services and to enable the features you use today—and which you may want to use in the future. This approach also enables optional personalized experiences, which work better if your interests and preferences are understood.
You are in control of your information with the ability to determine what is collected. We built Windows 10 so you can tailor your experience, and your privacy features and settings, simply, at any time. Windows 10 puts you in control by giving you choices about how information is used to deliver personalized services and experiences. If you change your mind, you can easily change and update your privacy settings. Some Windows 10 services, like Cortana, are turned off by default—to use Cortana, you must turn Cortana on for each Windows 10 device and you have additional privacy options once turned on.

They go on to show you how to configure the privacy settings and what each of the options means.

The complete list of FAQs can be found with these headings.