Microsoft has the power to track every single word you type or say to its digital assistant.

Last fall, it was reported that Windows 10 Technical Preview may collect voice information as well as typed characters. The assumption here is they were just collecting data for development  testing purposes. But, we couldn’t be more wrong.

The key logger made it into Microsoft’s Windows 10  public release.  With the latest version being free with upgrades drove the adoption rate to the millions after just a few days.

They are always privacy concerns, however, there is a component that tracks your input using your keyboard, voice, screen, mouse, and even your stylus.

Microsoft openly said it’s more than just a key logger

"When you interact with your Windows device by speaking, handwriting, or typing, Microsoft collects speech, inking, and typing information – including information about your Calendar and People…"

My thoughts:

There is always a trade off between security and convince, we just have to accept this fact. 

Gathering information to better a product is one thing, but how much is too much. Ultimately, it comes down to how much you trust the company. In this case, it’s Microsoft. Do you trust they value security as much as you do? Will they be selling your information or higher 3rd party companies to handle it? Do they have backdoor's built-in for any reason, even law enforcement? These are the big questions.

I’ve voiced my option time and time again, that I trust any company with a grain of salt that builds backdoor's into their systems. I understand the argument that law enforcement may need access etc. But the simple fact is if it’s built-in then it’s not a question of if, but when will it be exploited. Either by hackers or politics someone will twist an arm to get access to it.

Trust is earned with time, and honestly, Apple shows time and time again being the front runners in this arena. They do not build any backdoor's or decryptions for these systems and by doing so no one can exploit it. Again, we come back to trust, Yes apple could be saying one thing and doing another, but we look at a companies track record and actions.

How does Microsoft stack up in your eyes? Let us know, leave a comment down below or head over to our new forums

How do you disable this key logger? I’m glad you asked.

Follow these simple steps:

• Click on the Start Menu, then open Settings.

• Click on Privacy settings, which you'll find in the very last row of the menu.

• Once you are in the Privacy menu, click on General

• Under 'Send Microsoft info about how I write to help use improve typing and writing in the future' – Turn it to Off.
• Now move ahead to the 'Speech, Inking and Typing' menu and click Stop getting to know me. This will help you turn off the speech tracking through dictation or Cortana.