Topic: New Windows 7/8/8.1 updates KB3075249 and KB3080149 spy on you like Windows 10 (Read 2597 times)

window xp is beat for me

Now I know this I will definitely not install them. Luckily they are showing up as optional updates. It's frustrating seeing that Microsoft is going this way as I have been using Windows since Windows 95.

How To Uninstall Microsoft's Spying Updates From Windows 7/8

https://www.hackread.com/microsoft-updates-spy-on-windows7-8-users/

Back at the beginning of this month, we reported about how Microsoft has planned to spy on its users by releasing their latest operating system Windows 10. Many didn't know that this latest version of Windows has a capability to silently capture and send user data to Microsoft servers, without user's consent. (...) But it seems like Microsoft's goal to snoop on its users is so strong that they have now released several updates to their older versions of Windows that provide them with a capability to spy on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users too. The two recent Windows updates having the identification numbers KB3075249 and KB3080149 grant a capability to Windows to capture and send your data to the company's servers. So, once both of these updates are installed on your computer, then Microsoft may possibly spy on you in a similar way Windows 10 does, and all your data will be sent to Microsoft servers.

That is not all. Privacy-conscious users of Windows have pointed out that there are numerous other updates released by Microsoft that either grant the company access to your data or forcefully updates your existing version of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 to the latest operating system release, Windows 10:

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/367377-how-remove-windows-10-upgrade-updates-windows-7-8-a-30.html#post3127044

If you want to stick to Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 and want to remain untracked then we recommend that you stay away from the following updates:

KB2506928
KB2545698 (IE9)
KB2592687
KB2660075
KB2726535
KB2876229 SKYPE, If you want Skype then install it.
KB2923545 RDP
KB2952664 x2
KB2970228
KB2990214
KB2994023
KB3021917
KB3022345 Caused false sfc result
KB3022345 Replaced by KB3068708 Telemetry
KB3035583
KB3050265
KB3065987
KB3068708 Telemetry

If you are still using Windows 7 or Windows 8 and want to keep your data away from the access of Microsoft then we will highly recommend you to stay away from the above-mentioned updates. But you must be curious to find out if the above updates are installed on your computer. Don't worry, head over to the next section where we have a step by step guide to finding out whether these updates were installed on your computer, and if they are then how to uninstall them.

(. . .)

Read the rest of the article on the original site for the update removal procedure. Note that the the article's author chose to use the Command Prompt instead of the normal uninstall method because some of these updates simply will not show on the list of installed updates.

IMPORTANT: after you uninstall these updates, the next time you check for updates they will show up again. To avoid reinstalling them by mistake, right click on each of them and select "hide update".

Sources:

HackRead
SevenForums

New Windows 7/8/8.1 updates KB3075249 and KB3080149 spy on you just like Windows 10

http://www.techworm.net/2015/08/new-windows-788-1-updates-spy-on-you-just-like-windows-10.html

Microsoft is pushing KB3075249 and KB3080149 updates for Windows 7/8/8.1 users which can spy on you.

It is now a known fact that Windows 10 user data is being reported back to Microsoft servers back in Redmond. The jury is still out whether this a good or bad practice but many of Windows 10 Apps like Cortana depend on getting your preferences correct to serve you better. This being the case, many Windows users who are not happy with Windows 10 spying ways and have preferred to stay on with Windows 7/Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 as the case might be. For these Windows 7/8/8.1 users there are a few updates which Microsoft has been pushing through last few days. Namely, KB3075249 and KB3080149, if installed are known to report your data back to Microsoft servers.

KB3075249 update adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. The Microsoft support pages give the following descriptions for them:

KB3075249 - "Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7."

KB3080149 - "This update aligns down-level devices on the same UTC binary that's released in Windows 10. This update would enable all the down-level devices to receive the software updates, design updates, and additional power and performance tuning."

In simple words, both these updates, if downloaded and installed will snoop on you and report back certain data to the Microsoft servers. Once you have updated your Windows 7/8/8.1 with these updates, your PC is no better than Windows 10 as it will report back your user data.

There is little news about these updates but tech forums are already abuzz about their spying ways. Some users on forums have reported additional updates from Microsoft which are to be avoided :

KB2505438
KB2670838 – Windows 7 Only (breaks AERO functionality and gives you blurry fonts on some websites)
KB2952664
KB2976978 – Windows 8 only
KB3021917
KB3035583
KB3075249

If you are a privacy lover or don't want your data to be sent to unwanted entities, avoid the above updates. All these updates are optional and wont harm your PC if you don't install them. To stop your Windows 7/8/8.1 PC from downloading these updates, go to Windows Update (Control Panel > System and Security), mark the check boxes beside these updates and hide them. Do remember, these updates may reappear after a reboot.

Source: TechWorm