Why does M$ require so much personal information?

Microsoft is really getting insistent about requiring an account before you can install new versions of Windows. They’re even blocking known circumventions in order to enforce that dictum¹.

These items of personal information are required by Microsoft in order to be allowed to install Windows.

1. Name and surname
2. Birthdate
3. Country / region
4. Region

No matter that you’ve already purchased the product and have a computer capable of running it, this information is allegedly needed “to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11.”

Of course they “allow” users to enter additional information. The complete list of information they’re trying to collect consists of nine items.

1. Name and surname
2. Birthdate
3. Sex
4. Country / region
5. Region
6. Postal code
7. Time zone
8. Phone
9. Address

That looks to me like enough to steal your identity or to at least convince you that they’re calling from your bank or credit card company as they go phishing for your account data.

I just don’t get why they need this personal data — even the short list. I’ve never had to provide any information of any kind to download and install Linux and I’m having a perfectly wonderful experience. My computers are also far more secure than any computer using Windows can ever possibly be.

Why do people submit to this invasion of privacy? I mean, I know it’s easy to just stay with Windows so it feels necessary to put up with this, but really.

Think about the Americans — that is the United States version of Americans. The impression most try to present to the world is that of rugged individualists, yet so many fall in line with this scam like lemmings that it’s mind-boggling. The irony is that the horrible Tariffs being imposed by the current US administration is causing many users in other parts of the world to move away from Windows to Linux — usually their own local versions of Linux.

I’ve never used Windows on any of my own personal computer hardware. I have used it on VMs for research on some of my books and articles. That alone is enough to dissuade me from ever trying it on any of my systems for real work, but the M$ phishing expedition is over the top.

We here at Both.org prefer the true freedom of Linux and open source. Join us.

1. The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/news/638967/microsoft-windows-11-account-internet-bypass-blocked ↩︎