A recent video, titled “Has Windows become Spyware?”, has shed light on the staggering amount of telemetry data being sent by Windows 11 to third-party entities. This raises serious questions about the privacy of users and the extent to which their data is being collected and shared.

Many of us are not fully aware of the amount of data that is being transmitted by our PCs to third parties and what type of personal information is being harvested for advertising and geolocation tracking. Browsing habits, shopping trends, likes, and dislikes are just some examples of the data that is being collected and used to personalize search results.

However, the picture is not any brighter for users with a fresh installation of Windows 11. A recent video by The PC Security Channel highlights the extent to which user data is being transmitted even before the user has sent their first email. Using Wireshark, the video reveals that a significant amount of data is being sent from Microsoft to Bing, Google, Steam, McAfee, and other entities, resulting in constant communication and geolocation tracking.

What is even more alarming is that much of this data is being sent without the user’s consent or knowledge, outside of the initial setup phase. The telemetry data is being sent to market research firms and other companies with names like “trusted,” “security,” and “privacy” in their company profiles, raising concerns about their intentions. One such example is ScorecardResearch.com, which claims to “study and report on Internet trends and behavior.”

In conclusion, the excessive data sharing by Windows 11 raises serious privacy concerns and questions the trustworthiness of Microsoft’s latest operating system. It is a timely reminder that we must be vigilant and take control of our data privacy by being fully aware of the extent to which our data is being shared and with whom.