What is Bloatware? Is Microsoft Spying on you?

I recently came across the term 'Bloatware' and was intrigued. So, what is it? Simply put, bloatware refers to unwanted, pre-installed software. While exploring this topic, I stumbled upon a YouTube video from "The PC Security Channel" titled 'Has Windows become Spyware?' To my surprise, it turns out that computers running Microsoft Windows come loaded with tons of bloatware. For example, these are the News Notifications, the Weather forcast etc.

The Issue with Bloatware

Why is this a problem? Bloatware can be used to make money and share your data with third parties, posing both security and privacy risks. Insecure bloatware can become vectors for attacks and spyware. Additionally, these unnecessary applications can slow down your computer.

Microsoft and Preloaded Software

I was shocked to discover how much unnecessary preloaded software is included on our computers by Microsoft. While additional functionality can be useful, we should have the freedom to choose what we want and control who has access to our data.

Unveiling Suspicious Activity

Watching the YouTube video from "The PC Security Channel" (link at the bottom of page), I learned about the dubious activities of Windows. Even when you run Windows without launching any applications, there are several questionable requests being made. These include requests for your geolocation, connections to Bing (Microsoft's search engine), and even communications with McAfee. More concerning is the "Scorecardresearch.com" query, a site known for conducting market research by collecting web browsing data. As the website states : “a leading global market research effort that studies and reports on Internet trends and behaviour… conducts research by collecting Internet web browsing data and then uses that data to help show how people use the Internet, what they like about it, and what they don’t.” Another shady query is to "privacyportal.onetrust.com," which collects data for research purposes.

Does Microsoft Spy on You?

The evidence suggests that yes, Microsoft does engage in activities that could be considered spying.

How to Remove Bloatware

Wondering how to uninstall all this bloatware? There are several options. The most logical solution would be to block these unwanted queries, but this can be technically challenging. A more user-friendly approach is to use software designed to remove bloatware for you. I recommend Bulk Crap Uninstaller, an open-source (free) application. After downloading it, you can select the applications you want to uninstall, and it will do the job for you. If you're unsure about whether to uninstall a particular application, the website "Should I Remove It?" can help you decide or just make a google search.

YouTube Video: Has Windows become Spyware?