PSA: Intel Graphics Drivers Now Collect Telemetry By Default
PSA: Intel Graphics Drivers Now Collect Telemetry By Default
Intel graphic drivers collect Telemetry By default in windows.
This shit should be illegal. Or, specifically, should be required to be opt-in only.
Data is a commodity, and has been for a long time. Collecting / using users' data without their express consent should not be as accepted as it is.
Isn't that what the GDPR says?
It's what the ePrivacy directive says, yes. But some get around this by claiming that it's necessary for the operation of the device/service (doubtful) or that it has limited effect on privacy (depends on exceptions created by member states)
Or, specifically, should be required to be opt-in only.
Yes, in the same way that folks should be allowed to sell themselves into slavery.
Oh wait.
(In other words, some things are so inherently exploitative they should be prohibited even with "consent.")
Bless you AMD
AMD handles its version of CIP and Telemetry in arguably the most transparent manner. The installer of AMD Software Adrenalin presents the option to prevent its data-collection tool from being enabled at the completion of driver installation, regardless of whether you've chosen the "typical," "driver only," or "custom" install options. There's an entire page of the installer dedicated to this, you see a large checkbox about data-collection that's checked by default, but which you can uncheck, and complete installation.
How bout just don’t install privacy-invading data collection services alongside a fucking device driver at all.
They collect:
The categories of websites you visit, but not the URL itself
The information collected includes categorized web browsing history that shows how long and how often you visited specific categories of sites (i.e. social media, personal finance, or news). All site visits are classified into one of 30 categories. We do not collect URLs, web pages titles, or user-specific content without explicit permission from you.
Software usage: for example, frequency and duration of application usage such as Intel® Driver & Support Assistant, but not the application content itself such as specific actions or keyboard input.
Feature usage: for example, how much RAM you usually use or your laptop’s average battery life.
Other devices in your computing environment
Includes universal plug and play devices and devices that broadcast information to your computer on a local area network: for example, smart TV model and vendor information, and video streaming devices.
(the emphasis is mine, as is the minor reordering to not hide the browsing behaviour stuff at the bottom)
Yeah that’ll be a no from me there, bud.
categorized web browsing history that shows how long and how often you visited specific categories of sites
Wow. This is not telemetry; this is just data collection for ad targeting or selling to data brokers like Acxiom.
A graphics card driver collecting the categories of websites you visit and the frequency of those visits?
This is some far overreaching BS right there!
They are just trying to scam data to resell. We need laws to restrict big tech and their deeply unethical obsession with hiding trackers. They are legitimately selling out their customers and relying on near monopolies to force compliance.
I'm usually ok with some data collection to get stats, like memory CPU usage, etc, especially if they are using it to figure out how to make their software more efficient... But this? Hard pass on this. Especially with collection of other devices on the lan. Wtf Intel?
Thank you to AMD for still requiring neither an account nor collecting data. Crash reports don't count.
The Windows driver. If you’re using Windows, you’ve already declared that you’re okay with this kind of thing. This whole thread is people pissed about dress code violations at an orgy.
I still haven’t signed up my local windows account Into my Microsoft account, despite the nagging. I’ve opted out of everything I can and I have a encrypted, filtered dns to block tracking and ads system wide.
Just because some people use windows doesn’t mean they are ok with being tracked everywhere.
Unfortunately gaming is still just mostly easier on windows though Linux is making gains.
Yeah, I mean, I'm not telling anyone what they should do. If gaming is more important to you than privacy, game away, and don't let anyone make you feel bad about it. Personally, it's an easy call for me, mostly because so many games are playable now. There's a few than I can't run on Linux, and that's fine, I just don't play those. If no games ever worked... maybe that's a harder call.
You're right that this propably doesn't make much of a difference to the average windows user, but this is a step towards normalizing data collection in broader areas of computing and I think that it's good to keep up to date with stuff like this and where appropriate call it out (although it propably doesn't make a huge difference to complain about it on lemmy to be honest)
Enabled by default for their Beta drivers. The ones you opt-in to using.
Ok so it’s my fault that now someone at Intel knows how much porn I look at because I clicked “next” on a beta driver?
Well there goes any consideration I had for getting an Arc GPU 🤷♂️
AMD it is
Exactly. A lot of people had the same reaction. And it's totally understandable.
Companies don’t even try to spin it anymore. There is no reason any of us need this.
wow fuck that. how does one go about disabling it?
The installer has a checkbox for CIP, which is the data collection tool. Don’t install the CIP, and it won’t collect telemetry.
Works for CIP, but not for NVIDIA drivers:
Intel CIP is functionally similar to the Telemetry component of the GeForce Software. NVIDIA's Telemetry is installed and enabled by default along with your GeForce graphics drivers, and you cannot opt out from it, as it does not even figure in the "custom" installer options.
(Emphasis mine)
You can uninstall it like any other program.
Can someone please explain telemetry to me in this context? Is telemetry just a broad umbrella term for usage data or does it indicate a specific type of data or category of data?
Data that identifies your computer
Opensource FTW
Can you still get driver updates via Windows Update to avoid all the bloatware the regular downloads come with? That used to be the way to get "clean" drivers.