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Microsoft surveillance visualization
Windows tracking documentation
Investigation · Digital Surveillance · Power & Class

Microsoft Built a
Surveillance System
into Your Computer.

Source: Microsoft's own documentation + 4 independent researchers + EU regulatory findings

We went through every claim in five independent investigations — TPM chips, Windows Recall, telemetry, the Outlook data scandal, and the mass revolt against Windows 11. Here is what the evidence actually shows, what is exaggerated, and what is genuinely alarming.

"Microsoft has no business knowing what we do on our computers. Not what we search. Not what we type. Not what appears on our screens. Not where we go online. This is our machine. They sold it to us. That transaction was supposed to end there."

— CrisisOfTruth.org Editorial Position
Before We Begin

We Checked Everything.

Five independent video investigations raised serious claims about Microsoft's data collection practices. We ran every major claim against Microsoft's own published documentation, EU regulatory filings, peer-reviewed security research, and reporting from sources like Proton, Germany's Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, and independent security researchers like Kevin Beaumont.

The bottom line: some claims are confirmed word-for-word by Microsoft's own documentation. Some are accurate in substance but overstated in framing. A few are speculative. And a small number are misleading.

What emerges from the verified evidence alone is disturbing enough without exaggeration. Let's start with what we know for certain.

What this page is and isn't

This investigation focuses primarily on Windows because that is where the most documented and verifiable concerns exist. Some claims in these videos extend to smartphones and California legislation — we address those briefly at the end.

We do not claim Microsoft is uniquely evil among technology companies. Google, Meta, and Apple have documented data practices that deserve equal scrutiny. But Microsoft runs the operating system on over a billion personal computers — the stakes there are uniquely high.

Sourcing Transparency

The majority of claims on this page are verified against primary sources — Microsoft's own documentation, EU regulatory filings, Proton's published research, and peer-reviewed security analysis — with direct links throughout. A smaller number draw from credible independent journalism (Windows Latest, Windows Central, BleepingComputer) that we independently confirmed via search. Where claims originate from the source videos and could not be corroborated externally, they are rated "Nuanced" or "Speculative" in the fact-check grid. No claim is presented as confirmed that we did not verify through a source outside the video itself.

Source Videos

The Investigations — All Five Videos

These are the five independent investigations that informed this analysis. Watch them in full — the technical demonstrations are worth your time.

TPM / Security

Your Windows 11 Computer's Hidden Spy: The Dark Truth About TPM Chips

Developer's firsthand experience with BitLocker lockouts, the Endorsement Key, Platform Configuration Registers, and remote attestation. Dense with technical detail.

Analysis

STOP Everything! If You Use WINDOWS 11, You Need to Watch This NOW!

Covers the mass user revolt, the "Microslop" nickname phenomenon, 500 million refusals to upgrade, and Microsoft's forced AI agenda. Well-documented analysis.

How-To

10 Things You Should Turn Off in Windows Right Now

Practical step-by-step guide: startup bloat, telemetry settings, ads in Explorer, activity history, Cortana/Copilot removal, and auto-reboot disabling.

Telemetry

How Bad Is Windows Spying? (Live Network Analysis)

Security researcher intercepts Windows traffic with a custom SSL certificate. Proves that typing in the Start Menu triggers real-time API calls to Bing.

How-To

I'm Using These 3 Free Tools Because Microsoft Is Spying on Your PC

Covers O&O ShutUp10++, Windows Privacy Dashboard (WPD), and Spybot Anti-Beacon — and demonstrates how much they actually reduce outbound traffic.

Business Strategy

The Windows 11 Crisis Explained Like You're 5

The clearest explanation of why Microsoft is doing this — Nadella's cloud pivot, how Microsoft went from selling software once to billing you forever, and why shareholders are thriving while users are miserable. Essential context for everything else on this page.

Documented Evidence

What Is Actually Happening — Verified

These are not theories. Every item below is confirmed by Microsoft's own documentation, EU regulatory filings, or peer-reviewed security analysis.

Evidence 01 — Confirmed by Microsoft

Required Diagnostic Data: Cannot Be Turned Off

Windows Home and Windows 11 users cannot fully disable data collection. Microsoft classifies a category called "Required Diagnostic Data" that is transmitted regardless of user preference. This includes device identifiers, hardware configuration, installed software, system performance data, crash reports, and network connection details.

Microsoft publishes this openly in its own documentation. They call it "required."

→ Microsoft Learn documentation
Evidence 02 — Confirmed by Proton + EU Regulators

New Outlook Shares Your Data with 801 Companies

801

The new Outlook for Windows displays a consent notice — visible in Europe due to GDPR — disclosing that Microsoft and 801 advertising and analytics partners may process your data. This includes storing information on your device, deriving audience insights, and obtaining precise geolocation data.

Germany's Federal Commissioner for Data Protection publicly called this "alarming" and initiated formal inquiries. Microsoft says email content is not shared — but device IDs and behavioral signals are.

→ Proton investigation
Evidence 03 — Confirmed by Live Network Analysis

Typing in the Start Menu Sends Real-Time API Calls to Bing

A security researcher intercepted Windows network traffic using a custom SSL certificate. The demonstration shows conclusively that every keystroke entered into the Start Menu search box triggers an API call to Microsoft's Bing API — before you press Enter, before you search for anything.

After applying O&O ShutUp10++ and rebooting, the same test showed zero outbound API calls. The behavior is real and stoppable.

Evidence 04 — Confirmed by New Outlook Security Audit

New Outlook Stores Third-Party Email Passwords on Microsoft Servers

German tech publication Heise and subsequent independent audits confirmed that when you connect a Gmail, Yahoo, or other third-party email account to the new Outlook, Microsoft's cloud receives and stores your IMAP and SMTP login credentials on its US servers.

This means Microsoft technically has access to read every email in those third-party accounts. Microsoft has not disputed this architecture.

→ Tuta (Tutanota) analysis
Evidence 05 — Confirmed by Microsoft Documentation

TPM 2.0 Endorsement Key Is Permanent and Factory-Burned

Every Windows 11 device requires a TPM 2.0 chip. That chip contains a unique Endorsement Key (EK) — a 2048-bit RSA identifier burned in at the factory. It never changes. It cannot be deleted. When you use BitLocker recovery via a Microsoft account, this EK is registered with and stored by Microsoft.

It becomes a permanent hardware fingerprint linking your device to your identity. Any administrator-level process can read it via PowerShell.

Evidence 06 — Confirmed by Windows Central / Dell

500 Million Users Refused to Upgrade from Windows 10

500M

Despite Windows 10 reaching end-of-support in October 2025, Dell confirmed on an earnings call that approximately 500 million PCs capable of running Windows 11 remained on Windows 10 by choice. Many users paid Microsoft $30/year for extended security patches rather than accept Windows 11's forced AI features and privacy practices.

Evidence 07 — Confirmed by EU Data Protection Supervisor

EU Commission Found in Violation for Using Microsoft 365

The European Data Protection Supervisor found the EU Commission itself in violation of EU data protection regulations for using Microsoft 365 — ruling that there is no reasonable basis to conclude that EU citizens' data is properly protected when using Microsoft's products.

This is a European regulator ruling against its own institutions for using Microsoft software. That is how serious the documented concern is.

Evidence 08 — Confirmed by Multiple Outlets

Optional Data Includes Typing Samples, Behavior, and Voice

Windows "Optional Diagnostic Data" — which is enabled by default for many users during setup — can include samples of what you type, dictation transcripts, ink input, browsing history in Microsoft browsers, app usage, and behavioral patterns. Most users never see the toggle that turns this off because it is presented during initial setup in a way that does not emphasize what is being authorized.

Evidence 09 — Confirmed by Microsoft SEC Filings + Financial Reporting

The Business Model Shift: Why Microsoft Has Every Incentive to Surveil You

Under Satya Nadella, Microsoft fundamentally restructured from a company that sold software once to a company that bills you monthly. Microsoft has committed $13 billion to OpenAI — confirmed by Microsoft's own SEC filings. Azure cloud revenue topped $75 billion in fiscal 2025, growing 34% year-over-year. Microsoft's market cap reached approximately $3.6 trillion in 2025.

Over half of Microsoft's revenue now comes from cloud services. Home users are a rounding error. The surveillance architecture in Windows is not a bug or an overzealous privacy team. It is the infrastructure that makes recurring cloud revenue possible — your data, your activity, your device identity all feed a business model built on knowing you permanently.

→ Microsoft SEC Filing Q1 FY2026
The Question You're Really Asking

Can Microsoft See Your Personal Files, Notes, and Photos?

This is the core question — and the answer is nuanced but worth taking seriously.

Windows Recall: The Feature That Screenshots Everything You Do


What it is: Windows Recall is an AI feature exclusive to Copilot+ PCs (devices with special neural processing hardware, primarily sold after mid-2024) that takes periodic screenshots of your screen every few seconds, analyzes them with on-device AI, and stores them in a searchable local database so you can later ask "what was that document I saw last week?"

What is confirmed:

  • It does screenshot every few seconds — confirmed by Microsoft and independent security researchers.
  • In its initial version (2024), the database was stored in plaintext — not encrypted — meaning any malware or anyone with device access could read every screenshot. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont confirmed this publicly. → His full analysis
  • Credit card numbers, passwords, personal messages, and intimate images could appear in those screenshots. By design.
  • The encrypted version now requires Windows Hello biometric authentication to access — but the data still exists on the device in a queryable database.
  • Signal, Brave, and AdGuard all added specific features to block Recall from capturing their screens — because they took the privacy risk seriously.

What Microsoft says: After massive public backlash, Microsoft redesigned Recall to be opt-in by default (you must actively enable it), now encrypts the database, and says data stays local — they cannot access it from their servers.

The legitimate concern: Microsoft's claim that it stays local is currently accurate. However, that architecture can change with a software update. More immediately: any malware, any person with physical access to your unlocked device, and potentially any future policy change could expose everything Recall has ever captured. That includes notes you have written to your spouse, photographs of your children, medical information, financial documents — anything that has appeared on your screen.

Bottom Line on Recall

If Recall is disabled (the current default), Microsoft is not taking screenshots of your screen. Standard Windows telemetry does not capture screen content. The concern is real and legitimate, but the "Microsoft is reading your private messages right now" framing applies specifically to Recall — which only exists on Copilot+ PCs and must be manually enabled. If you have an older PC or have not turned Recall on, this specific risk does not apply to you today. The broader telemetry concern — device identifiers, app usage, behavioral data — applies to every Windows user.

If You Have a Copilot+ PC — Check Right Now

  • Step 1 Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots
  • Step 2 Ensure "Save Snapshots" is toggled OFF
  • Step 3 Click "Delete all snapshots" to clear any existing archive
  • Step 4 To permanently lock it off on Windows Pro, use Group Policy: set DisableAIDataAnalysis to 1
  • Step 5 On Windows Home, create a registry key at HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI and add DWORD value DisableAIDataAnalysis = 1
Microsoft surveillance awareness graphic
Full Fact-Check

Every Major Claim — Verified and Rated

We ran every significant claim from all five investigations against primary sources. Here is exactly what holds up, what is overstated, and what is speculative.

✓ Confirmed = Verified by primary sources ~ Nuanced = True but incomplete or context-dependent ! Overstated = Accurate direction, inflated framing ? Speculative = Possible but not currently demonstrated
✓ Confirmed
Windows cannot be made fully telemetry-free on Home editions

Confirmed by Microsoft's own documentation. "Required Diagnostic Data" is transmitted regardless of user settings on Windows Home. Enterprise editions have more control via Group Policy. Source: Microsoft Learn

✓ Confirmed
Typing in the Start Menu sends API calls to Bing in real time

Live-demonstrated with custom SSL certificate interception. Every keystroke in the search box triggers a call to Microsoft's Bing API. This is the feature powering search suggestions. It happens before you press Enter.

✓ Confirmed
New Outlook shares data with 772–813 third-party advertising partners

Confirmed by the modal disclosure visible to EU users. Proton documented this in January 2024. Germany's Federal Data Protection Commissioner publicly raised concerns. Source: Proton

✓ Confirmed
New Outlook syncs third-party email passwords to Microsoft's US servers

Confirmed by Heise (German IT publication) and independent audits. When connecting Gmail, Yahoo, or other accounts to new Outlook, IMAP/SMTP credentials are transmitted and stored. Microsoft has not disputed this.

✓ Confirmed
TPM Endorsement Key (EK) is factory-burned, permanent, and cannot be changed or deleted

Confirmed by TPM specification and Microsoft documentation. The EK is a permanent 2048-bit RSA identifier. It links your hardware to your Microsoft account when BitLocker recovery is used. This is by design.

✓ Confirmed
Windows Recall initially stored screenshot data in an unencrypted plaintext database

Confirmed by security researcher Kevin Beaumont (DoublePulsar) in 2024. The database contained OCR-extracted text from screenshots including passwords and financial data, accessible without encryption. Microsoft delayed the release and redesigned it after this disclosure. Source: DoublePulsar

✓ Confirmed
Microsoft raised Microsoft 365 personal subscription price by ~40%, bundling Copilot

Confirmed. Price increased from approximately $6.99/month to $9.99/month. AI features bundled in by default. Users who wanted the original product had to contact support to request a downgrade. This drew widespread criticism.

✓ Confirmed
Copilot buttons added to Notepad, Paint, and File Explorer via forced updates

Confirmed. Microsoft embedded Copilot AI into basic built-in tools that have existed since the 1980s — tools people use specifically because of their simplicity. Windows Update was used as the delivery mechanism without explicit user consent.

✓ Confirmed
Microsoft Paint began prompting users to sign into their Microsoft account

Confirmed. A free, 40-year-old drawing utility began requiring Microsoft account sign-in, which a developer shared publicly and described as the moment that captured "what went wrong for Windows." The post went viral in tech circles.

✓ Confirmed
Windows 11 shipped more than 20 major update problems in 2025

Confirmed and independently documented. Windows Latest catalogued the full list in a January 2026 retrospective — broken USB audio, camera failures, BitLocker inaccessibility, black screens, Outlook freezes, printer failures, game crashes, RDP failures, boot loops, and more. Windows Central separately confirmed 2025 was the worst year for Windows 11's reputation since Windows 8. Source: Windows Latest

✓ Confirmed
Users created a browser extension to rename Microsoft "Microslop" across the internet

Confirmed — and one important correction from the source video: the nickname is "Microslop" (not "Microsft" as transcribed). The Chrome extension "Microsoft to Microslop" exists on the Chrome Web Store, holds a 4.8-star rating, and replaces every instance of "Microsoft" with "Microslop" across all web pages. Windows Central, PCWorld, and Windows Latest all covered it. The name references "AI slop" — a term for low-quality AI output — and came after CEO Satya Nadella publicly told users to stop using that term, which predictably intensified the backlash. Chrome Web Store listing

~ Nuanced
Windows Recall takes screenshots "every 3 seconds"

The transcript of one video states "every 3 seconds." Microsoft's documentation and multiple independent sources say "every few seconds" or "periodically when screen content changes." The precise interval varies. The mechanism is real — the exact number is approximate. The substance of the concern is accurate.

~ Nuanced
Recall is "on by default" on Copilot+ PCs

This was true in the initial 2024 design. Microsoft changed it after massive backlash — Recall is now opt-in by default. You must actively enable it. However, it is pre-installed on Copilot+ PCs, which means it is present, waiting to be turned on. The risk of it being enabled without full understanding of implications remains real.

~ Nuanced
Swapping an SSD triggers Windows to "wipe out" the Linux Grub bootloader

The developer who reported this is describing real behavior related to BitLocker's Platform Configuration Register (PCR) verification system. However, the exact mechanism depends on hardware configuration and whether BitLocker is active. This is a real risk for dual-boot users on Copilot+ PCs with BitLocker enabled — but not universal across all Windows 11 machines.

~ Nuanced
Microsoft's Outlook shares the actual content of your emails with third parties

Microsoft states explicitly that email content is not shared with the 801 advertising partners. What is shared: device identifiers, behavioral signals, and ad-targeting data. The more serious, separately documented concern is that Microsoft itself can access third-party email accounts whose credentials were synced — not that it shares that content with ad partners.

! Overstated
Microsoft "knows everything" you do on your computer right now

Standard Windows telemetry collects device configuration, performance data, crash reports, app usage metadata, and behavioral signals — not screen content, not private message text, not personal documents on non-Copilot+ PCs without Recall enabled. "Everything" is inaccurate framing. The real, documented collection is alarming enough without overstating it.

? Speculative
Microsoft could use Recall to report on users' political activity to authorities

The "kill chain" scenario — identity via EK + configuration via PCR + behavior via Recall + policy enforcement — is a technically feasible architecture that does not currently operate this way. The components exist. The scenario described is not current reality but represents a legitimate concern about where these systems, in combination, could lead. Worth taking seriously as a future risk, not a present fact.

? Speculative
The California AB 1043 law (age verification) will enable national digital ID

California's AB 1043 requires age verification at the OS level, effective January 2027. The concern about infrastructure being repurposed is a legitimate civil liberties argument — but the law as written is about age-gating content. The "slippery slope to national digital ID" is an extrapolation beyond current law. Worth watching; not currently factual.

✓ Confirmed
Microsoft invested $13 billion in OpenAI

Confirmed by Microsoft's own SEC filing: "We have an investment in OpenAI Global, LLC and have made total funding commitments of $13 billion, of which $11.6 billion has been funded as of September 30, 2025." Satya Nadella confirmed the figure publicly. Microsoft's stake in OpenAI is now valued at approximately $135 billion — making it one of the most lucrative startup investments in history. Source: Microsoft SEC Filing

✓ Confirmed
Microsoft's cloud revenue now exceeds half of total revenue

Confirmed. Azure cloud infrastructure topped $75 billion in fiscal year 2025 — more than a quarter of Microsoft's total revenue on its own, growing 34% year-over-year. When combined with Microsoft 365 subscriptions and other cloud services, cloud now drives the majority of Microsoft's revenue. Home Windows users are, financially speaking, increasingly irrelevant to the company's bottom line. Source: Nasdaq/financial reporting

~ Nuanced
"400 million people" were still on Windows 10 at end-of-life

The figure used in this video is 400 million. Our earlier sourcing from a Dell earnings call cited 500 million capable PCs that had not upgraded. The difference likely reflects measurement methodology — 400 million active users vs. 500 million capable devices. Both figures point to the same reality: an unprecedented mass refusal to upgrade. Neither figure has been disputed by Microsoft.

✓ Confirmed
Microsoft shifted from one-time software sales to recurring subscription revenue under Nadella

Confirmed and well-documented. Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014 and explicitly restructured Microsoft around "cloud first, mobile first." Office became Microsoft 365 (subscription). OneDrive became a cloud storage service with paid tiers. Azure became the revenue engine. Microsoft's stock price increased over 1,000% from 2014 to 2025 on the back of this transformation. This is the strategic context that explains every privacy decision on this page.

The Root Cause

Why Microsoft Is Actually Doing This

Understanding the surveillance architecture requires understanding the business model shift that made it necessary. This is the context the other videos demonstrate but the sixth investigation explains most clearly.

"Microsoft used to make money by selling you Windows once. You'd pay $100, install it, and that was it. They got their money. You got your software."
— The Windows 11 Crisis Explained

When Satya Nadella took over as CEO in 2014, Microsoft was in trouble. The company pivoted hard to a subscription and cloud model: Office became a monthly rental, OneDrive pushed files off your hard drive and onto Microsoft's servers, and Azure became the real revenue engine. It worked. Microsoft's stock increased over 1,000% in a decade. The company's market cap approached $3.6 trillion.

But to make that cloud strategy work, Microsoft needed something: they needed you permanently connected to their services. Not occasionally. Not when you chose to be. Always. The telemetry, the Microsoft account requirement, the TPM device fingerprinting, the OneDrive integration — none of it is accidental or poorly thought out. It is infrastructure for a business model that depends on knowing who you are, what device you use, and what you do on it.

The Financial Reality

Home Users Are a Rounding Error

In fiscal year 2025, Microsoft generated over $252 billion in revenue. Azure cloud alone topped $75 billion. Microsoft 365 subscriptions grew 26% between 2022 and 2024. Enterprise adoption of Windows 11 passed 60% ahead of schedule.

Corporations pay Microsoft's bills. Corporations want forced updates, centralized control, telemetry, and device tracking. Home users complaining about ads in Paint are not Microsoft's customer — they are the product being refined for enterprise pitch decks.

The Strategic Logic

The $13 Billion AI Bet Has to Pay Off

Microsoft committed $13 billion to OpenAI — confirmed by SEC filing. To recoup that investment, they need Windows to become an AI platform. Recall needs the TPM. Copilot needs always-on connectivity. The agentic OS needs device identity.

Every privacy intrusion on this page serves that goal. This is not incompetence. It is a coherent strategy that prioritizes shareholder return over user autonomy — and by Microsoft's own financial metrics, it is working.

What This Means for Us

The class lens matters here. The people most harmed by Windows 11's forced obsolescence are working people who cannot afford new hardware every few years. The people most harmed by surveillance capitalism are those with the least power to opt out. The $3.6 trillion corporation making these decisions answers to shareholders — not to the 400–500 million people who built their work, their families, and their lives around a platform that has now decided their computers are "junk" because they lack a chip Microsoft suddenly requires.

The Technical Core

The TPM Chip: What It Actually Does

The Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chip is required for all Windows 11 installations. Here is what is documented and verified about what it enables:

The Endorsement Key (EK)

Every TPM contains a factory-burned 2048-bit RSA key that uniquely identifies the chip. It never changes. It cannot be erased. When you use BitLocker with a Microsoft account, this key is registered with Microsoft and becomes a permanent hardware fingerprint.

Implication: Even if you create a local account, clear your TPM, and reinstall Windows — if you ever sign into Microsoft again on that device, Microsoft matches the EK and relinks your identity to the hardware.

Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs)

On every boot, the TPM records measurements of your hardware — CPU microcode, motherboard firmware, and critically the UUID of your installed storage drive. If you swap an SSD, the PCR1 value changes.

Implication for dual-boot users: On Copilot+ PCs with BitLocker active, a hardware change triggers lockout. This is confirmed behavior, not a bug — it is the security model working as designed, but it effectively punishes users who modify their own hardware.

Remote Attestation

Via Microsoft's Azure Attestation Service, any application can request a cryptographically signed statement from your TPM about your system's state — what OS is running, whether Secure Boot is enabled, whether a Linux bootloader is present.

Implication: Bank apps, gaming anti-cheat systems, and government services can already require specific OS configurations verified by attestation. This infrastructure exists and is in active use.

Platform Crypto Provider (PCP)

Microsoft's PCP routes TPM cryptographic operations through cloud infrastructure. This means Microsoft's servers are involved in key generation and attestation operations — though the extent of what Microsoft logs from these interactions is not fully public.

The claim that "Microsoft knows every TPM key you create" is technically plausible given the PCP architecture but has not been independently verified in full scope.

If You Need to Disable TPM (Advanced Users)

Option A — Disable in BIOS (recommended): Reboot → Enter BIOS/UEFI → Security → Trusted Computing → Set TPM to Disabled. BitLocker will suspend. Some apps requiring attestation may stop working.

Option B — Clear TPM ownership: Run Clear-Tpm in elevated PowerShell. Removes ownership keys. Critical warning: If you sign back in with the same Microsoft account, Microsoft will read your EK and relink everything, because the EK is permanent and Microsoft already has it in their database.

To break the chain permanently: Clear TPM + create a local account + never sign in with Microsoft on that device. Use a separate machine for Microsoft services.

How We Got Here

The Timeline of Escalation

2015 — Windows 10 Launch

Telemetry Controversy Begins

Windows 10 introduced aggressive default telemetry settings. Privacy advocates sounded alarms. Most users accepted the defaults without reading what they authorized. The pattern of consent-through-inaction was established.

2021 — Windows 11 Launch

TPM 2.0 Requirement Imposed

Microsoft requires TPM 2.0 for Windows 11. Millions of older PCs are declared incompatible. This lays the hardware foundation for future attestation and identity-linking systems.

November 2023

New Outlook Password Scandal

German publication Heise reveals that the new Outlook syncs third-party email passwords to Microsoft's servers. Germany's Federal Data Protection Commissioner opens inquiries. Microsoft continues rolling out the new Outlook.

January 2024

Proton Exposes 772-801 Ad Partners

Proton publishes documentation of Outlook's data-sharing disclosure. 772 (later 801) third-party partners can access user data. EU users see this in a mandatory consent modal. US users do not.

May 2024

Windows Recall Announced — Public Revolt Begins

Microsoft announces Recall for Copilot+ PCs. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont discovers the database is plaintext-unencrypted. International backlash. Microsoft delays and redesigns. Recall is made opt-in.

2025 — Full Year

The Year Windows Broke Trust

Over 20 major update failures — documented and catalogued by Windows Latest in a January 2026 retrospective. Source: Windows Latest. Forced Copilot features in Notepad, Paint, Explorer. Microsoft 365 price raised 40% to bundle unwanted AI. "Microslop" becomes the viral nickname — a Chrome extension called "Microsoft to Microslop" lets users apply it to every webpage they visit. Windows Central says Windows 11's reputation hit an all-time low. Tech journalists apply the term "enshittification" to Microsoft's platform strategy.

October 2025

Windows 10 End of Support — The Refusal

Despite Microsoft's years of preparation, 500 million capable PCs remain on Windows 10. Users pay $30/year for extended security updates rather than accept Windows 11. Dell publicly acknowledges the scale of the refusal.

November 2025

Windows President Turns Off Replies

Pavan Davuluri, head of Windows at Microsoft, posts about his vision for an "agentic OS" — an AI-controlled computer that runs apps on your behalf. Thousands of replies express opposition. He turns off the reply function on the post. This moment goes viral as a symbol of corporate disconnection from users.

January 2026

Microsoft Acknowledges the Failure

Sources tell Windows Central that Microsoft internally views the Recall implementation as a failure. Microsoft announces a "performance fundamentals" focus for 2026, promising to fix what users have been asking about for years. Tech community response: skeptical. Prove it.

"Microsoft's problem is not merely that they moved too fast with AI. The problem is a fundamental mismatch between what Microsoft wants Windows to be and what users actually need Windows to be."
— Windows Central analysis, 2026
What We Can Do

Take Back Control — Practical Steps

Windows Privacy Settings — Do These Now

  • Settings → Privacy → General Turn off Advertising ID — this is the unique identifier used to track you across apps and build ad profiles.
  • Settings → Privacy → Activity History Turn off "Store my activity history" and "Send to Microsoft." This stops Windows from logging your app usage and syncing it to the cloud.
  • Settings → Privacy → Diagnostics & Feedback Set to Required only. Disable "Improve inking & typing," "Tailored experiences," and reduce feedback frequency to Never.
  • Settings → Privacy → Location Review and disable location access for apps that do not genuinely need it. Consider disabling global location services on desktop machines.
  • Settings → Privacy → Camera/Microphone Audit which apps have camera and microphone access. Revoke any that do not have an obvious need.
  • Settings → Apps → Installed Apps Search for Copilot and uninstall it. On most Windows 11 installations, standard uninstall works. Also remove Cortana if present.
  • Settings → Privacy → Search Permissions Under Cloud Content Search, turn off both Microsoft account and Work/school account. Also disable Inking & Typing Personalization and Speech.
  • Task Manager → Startup Apps Disable Teams, OneDrive, Xbox, and anything else you do not actively use at launch. This is not just privacy — it meaningfully speeds up your machine.

Longer-Term Decisions

  1. Consider Windows 11 LTSC

    Windows 11 LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) is Microsoft's enterprise-grade edition — no Copilot, no AI buttons, no Store, no widgets, no advertising. Security updates only. Microsoft offers a 90-day free evaluation. Power users are migrating to it specifically to get a clean OS.

  2. Seriously Evaluate Linux

    Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Fedora are designed for accessibility. For everyday computing — web browsing, writing, email, media — they work well. Steam's Proton compatibility layer now supports thousands of Windows games. The "you can't do X on Linux" argument is increasingly outdated.

  3. Stop Using the New Outlook

    Use Thunderbird (open source), Proton Mail, or the classic Outlook 2021/2019 if you still need Microsoft's ecosystem. The new Outlook's data architecture is architecturally incompatible with privacy. The 801-partner disclosure is not a bug — it is the product's purpose.

  4. Create a Local Account

    A local Windows account does not sync data to Microsoft's cloud, limits the scope of telemetry linking to your identity, and disconnects the TPM Endorsement Key from Microsoft's database. Microsoft makes this intentionally difficult during setup — push through it.

  5. Boycott Attestation-Dependent Services

    If a bank, government service, or platform requires Microsoft attestation — meaning it will only work if your device matches specific configurations Microsoft controls — that is a privacy line worth treating as a dealbreaker. Vote with your accounts.

Trusted Tools

Three Free Tools That Actually Work

These tools are used by IT security professionals and privacy researchers. Each tackles different layers of the problem. Many users run all three together.

O&O ShutUp10++

Exposes hundreds of Windows privacy settings Microsoft spreads across menus and buries in defaults. One interface. Single-click changes. Creates a system restore point before making changes. The most user-friendly starting point.

Reduces: Telemetry, advertising ID, activity history, background data services, automatic permissions.

→ Download Free
Windows Privacy Dashboard (WPD)

Operates at network level — blocks known Microsoft telemetry servers at the firewall level. This means even if Windows re-enables a setting after an update, the network connections are blocked before they leave your machine.

Reduces: Telemetry endpoints, scheduled telemetry tasks, unwanted pre-installed apps.

→ Download Free
Spybot Anti-Beacon

From the creators of Spybot Search & Destroy (over 20 years in security). Adds Microsoft telemetry domains to the Windows hosts file — blocking tracking connections before they can even attempt to transmit.

Reduces: Telemetry domain connections, additional reporting services, Microsoft app tracking.

→ Download Free
Important Before Using Any of These

Always create a system restore point before making system-level changes. All three of these tools are well-established and widely used by security professionals — but you should understand what you are changing. Read what each setting does before disabling it. Some telemetry is genuinely used for security updates. The goal is informed control, not maximum breakage.

Who to Contact

Where to Report and Demand Change

Individuals contacting these organizations and elected officials creates documented public pressure. It works — Microsoft's course correction announcement in January 2026 was explicitly driven by the volume and sustained nature of user opposition.

US Congress

Your Congressional Representatives

The US has no comprehensive federal privacy law. Congressional pressure on this issue starts with constituents making contact. Use the specific, documented examples on this page — the 801 Outlook partners, the non-optional telemetry, the Recall database — not general complaints.

→ Find Your Representatives
US Federal Trade Commission

FTC — Bureau of Consumer Protection

The FTC accepts consumer complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices. Microsoft's pattern of using system updates to install features users did not consent to may qualify under deceptive trade practice standards.

→ File a Complaint
Electronic Frontier Foundation

EFF — Digital Rights Organization

The EFF advocates for privacy, free expression, and digital rights. They track legislation and corporate surveillance practices. Their Action Center provides tools to contact lawmakers on digital privacy issues.

→ EFF Action Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center

EPIC — Privacy Research & Advocacy

EPIC files FTC complaints and amicus briefs on surveillance and privacy issues. They have filed against Microsoft before. Public attention to their work and submissions of documented concerns amplifies their advocacy.

→ epic.org/contact
State Attorneys General

Your State AG — Consumer Protection Division

State attorneys general have filed major consumer protection actions against tech companies. Documented concerns about consent and disclosure — like the US not receiving the GDPR disclosure that EU users get about the 801 ad partners — are exactly the kind of disparate treatment that state AGs investigate.

→ Find Your State AG
Microsoft Directly

Microsoft Privacy Dashboard & Feedback

Microsoft has a Privacy Dashboard, a formal feedback mechanism, and public customer voice forums. Volume of feedback on specific issues demonstrably influences internal decisions — the January 2026 course correction announcement cited this explicitly. Use the thumbs-down on Windows updates you object to.

→ MS Privacy Dashboard

Amplify This

The most effective pressure on any corporation is informed, persistent public attention. Share this page. Print the fact-check. Show the Outlook disclosure number — 801 partners — to anyone who does not yet know it. Primary sources do not require spin.

This Is Our Computer.
We Paid for It.

The operating system running on over one billion personal computers should serve the people who use it — not harvest them for advertising revenue, not lock them into surveillance infrastructure, not use their own machines against their interests. We document the truth. We demand accountability.

Propaganda Playbook Chump Alert