Europe still has concerns about privacy in Windows 10

Privacy fears abound with Windows 10, with individuals and privacy groups continually questioning the company's motives in gathering user data. The threat of a court case in Switzerland resulted in Microsoft making changes to Windows -- in addition to the privacy changes it had already made.

But for European privacy watchdogs, the latest batch of changes are still not enough. The Article 29 Working Party voices concern about the settings that are in place by default, the lack of control users are given over data collection, and a general lack of transparency.

The group wrote to Microsoft last year to express the concerns it had about the wresting of privacy controls from users. It also asked for more information about the way in which Microsoft processed the data it gathered about users for purposes such as advertising.

In a statement, the group said:

In light of the above, which are separate to the results of ongoing inquiries at a national level, even considering the proposed changes to Windows 10, the Working Party remains concerned about the level of protection of users’ personal data.

The European Commission is quick to point out that the Article 29 Working Party is an independent body that acts in an advisory role only. Its views "do not reflect the position of the European Commission."

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