Microsoft Can Track Users via a Windows Device ID
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Microsoft uses a Windows device ID, GDID, to track users, as revealed by a hacker's arrest.
The FBI used a Microsoft device identifier called GDID to link a teenager to a hack attributed to Scattered Spider. This raises privacy concerns about Windows' surveillance capabilities, as the GDID allows Microsoft to correlate Windows installations with websites visited. The article details how Windows telemetry may reveal installation IDs, IPs, and resolved domains, with full URLs potentially recorded via Microsoft Defender SmartScreen in Edge.
What commenters are saying
Commenters express no surprise, with many calling Windows "malware" and citing recent examples of Microsoft sharing data with authorities. Several note that Linux also has machine IDs via systemd and dbus, though these may not be sent to browsers. Some suggest using tools like Wireshark or MITM SSL spoofing to investigate, while others point to Microsoft Defender SmartScreen as the likely mechanism. A camp of users advocates switching to Linux for privacy.