Users shouldn't worry about Windows 10 and their privacy, according to a Belgian Microsoft director. The operating system only collects data which the software giant can use to make improvements to the OS and to make it more secure.
Bruno Schröder, director Technology of Microsoft BeLux, states in an interview with Belgian newspaper De Morgen that the company wants "better security for everyone". Therefore Microsoft has to collect data, according to Schröder. And according to him Microsoft doesn't collect the data for marketing purposes but only for monitoring and product improvement.
Technical information that is collected by Windows 10 is e.g. when a crash happens and what applications are unstable. The information is only available to Microsoft engineers and the information is anonymized. The collected data is given a random number that has a relation with the reporting device and user profile but not to an individual person. Schröder stresses that any personal information is removed from the data.
Nevertheless, the software giant could potentially share data with third parties. When that happens Microsoft will not share data of individual systems but only large quantities of data (aggregated data) on which thirds parties can analyze for Microsoft, according to Schröder.
In case the software giant receives a request from the authorities it will share data if it's legally allowed to do so. "That's entirely normal and is part of the anti cybercrime and terrorism legislation", according to Schröder.
He also stresses that users can choose which data is collected, "they can choose between four categories, from a base level where only security data is collected till full data."
Users can also change other privacy settings through start menu -> settings -> privacy.
