exact, and when you contradict their point of view, they say you have surrendered your privacy , blablabla... come on..gimme a break...if i want want disappear from the net, i can do it very easily. i just need buy a 2nd hand computer with cash , connect only from public hotspots and create a new fake account with fake infos for every service i need. No need to be Jason Bourne
Except it (the paranoia and rumormongering) rarely is against the AV companies and the other entities who are the worst perpetrators. Instead, it most often is simply Microsoft bashing for the sake of bashing Microsoft - as was, I believe, the case here with Windows Defender. Facebook, in particular, is the greatest (worst) gatherer and source of personal information IMO. Yet who complains about that? Do you use Chrome or Firefox? Guess what? They are collecting data on you too. Where are the FUD spreaders with that? If you connect to your home (or any) network via wireless (not Ethernet), your geo-coordinates are published showing (within a few yards!!! ) where you are physically located. This has nothing to do with Windows, but "geolocation" and Google. See for yourself. Go to Where Am I? But where are the FUD spreaders with that? If you are connected via Ethernet, then the most Microsoft knows is your IP address and that will point to your POP (Point of Presence). That is where your ISP connects you to the Internet backbone. In my case, that is 10 miles away in the next town over. Just another reason to avoid wireless when able. FTR, I blame wannabe "journalist" in the tech press and unprofessional bloggers who seek attention with sensationalized and often totally false headlines. Those who seek out any opportunity to agitate believers and bash Microsoft. Those who fail to do their jobs - that is, to report the truth. And I blame those who blindly follow and parrot that group without bothering to do any homework or make any attempt to verify their facts, thus perpetuating the FUD. Or worse, they exaggerate it further. Ed Bott said it best; "Buy tinfoil futures". There's a big demand for more tinfoil hats. Now I believe I have been extremely guilty of helping to run this thread way off topic. My apologies to ako for my part in that.
That's what mine says with my Ethernet connected computer. That's why I (and that website) says wireless or wifi.
There is that as well . Just having a little light hearted fun this morning. BTW, not to trail too far off topic, I wanted to also extend as guest did, that it has been a pleasure reading your post's in this thread, especially considering you're another liked minded, former military user.
I still occasionaly use the old MBAM 1.75.0.1300 for on demand scans (I disliked the later bloated versions). 1.75 still recieves definitions updates. Is MBAM scanner still doing it's job as it supposed to? I remember it getting good marks and reviews some years ago.
Did not work. Ublock origin blocks google for me. So i bypassed UBO then Firefox asked me if I want to share my location. So I bypassed UBO and FF and it pointed to location of my VPN server.
Like that is a setup normal users use. It still proves the point that "Windows" did not expose your physical location, steal your passwords, hack into your bank or violate your privacy.