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Comment by leakycap

3 days ago

Microsoft: forces OneDrive on users via dark pattern dialogs that many users just accept

Users: save files "on their PC" (they think)

Microsoft: Rolls out AI photo-scanning feature to unknowing users intending to learn something.

Users: WTF? And there are rules on turning it on and off?

Microsoft: We have nothing more to share at this time.

Favorite quote from the article:

> [Microsoft's publicist chose not to answer this question.]

Almost feel like we are getting to class action or antitrust when you connect the dots. Almost all PCs come with Windows. Defacto you need to create a M$ account to use Windows locally. They opt you into one drive by default. They sync your docs by default. They upload all your photos into AI by default.

  • You can use Windows without a Microsoft account, but the dark pattern to do this is very difficult to navigate.

    • Sounds like this advice will be expiring along with the next Windows update, so if you want a local account your window of opportunity may be closing. (What happens when you need to get a new PC?)

It's totally worth self hosting files, it's gotten much better.